PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Sophomore forward Jack Preston and sophomore guard Ernie Johnson of Plymouth State University combined for 42 points Saturday afternoon – after combining for only seven against Eastern Connecticut State University a month ago – as the Panthers ended the Warriors' Little East Conference regular-season winning streak at 27 with a 65-57 men's basketball triumph at Foley Gymnasium.

After shooting 34.2 percent from the floor and committing 21 turnovers in a 25-point loss at Eastern Jan. 3, Plymouth (7-12, 2-7 LEC) shot 48.0 percent against Eastern (16-4, 8-1 LEC) Saturday and outscored the Warriors 8-2 over the final  68 seconds after the visitors had sliced an 11-point deficit to two. Plymouth had lost nine of its previous 12 and Eastern carried a season-high six-game winning streak into play.

Until Saturday, Eastern's last LEC regular-season loss at come by a score of 60-50 Jan. 26, 2013 at home against Rhode Island College.

Eastern's loss – coupled with UMass Dartmouth's 101-87 road win over Western Connecticut -- closes the Warriors' conference-leading lead to one game.  Eastern defeated UMass Dartmouth at home, 86-66, Jan. 13 and the clubs will meet again Feb. 14 at Dartmouth, MA.

Against Plymouth, Eastern did not allow Panther scoring leader Alex Burt to score from the floor (he had two free throws) in 27 minutes, but Jack Preston and Johnson picked up the slack.  Averaging 8.7 points per game, Jack Preston nailed 11 of 15 field goals and all three of his free throws on the way to a game and career-high 25 points. Johnson added 17 points (6-for-6 from the stripe), as the duo accounted for 65 percent of their team's scoring.

The last 15 points of the game came from the foul line. While Plymouth was held without a field goal for the final four minutes, the Warriors did not connect on a basket after junior guard Trachone Preston (Enfield)   sank his third three-pointer of the game with 2:47 left that pulled Eastern to within four, 56-52.

Plymouth scored its final ten points on 11 free throw attempts over the final four minutes, with Johnson submitting a 6-for-6 effort from the stripe over the final 66 seconds. Junior guard Kevin Leumene (Stamford)  converted the second of two freebies with 68 seconds left to cut Plymouth's lead to two, 57-55, and Eastern had a chance to tie seconds later when Leumene picked Burt's pocket, but the Warriors missed an inside basket and Johnson swished two free throws after being fouled on the rebound to make it a four-point game. Burt then stole the ball and was fouled, and sank both free throws, and Johnson answered with two more free throws after the Warriors failed on a three-pointer to push Plymouth's lead to eight, 63-55, with 18 seconds left.

Eastern's Preston had a team-high 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds but turned the ball over ten times, with Leumene adding 13 points and sophomore forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) contributing 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Freshman guard Tarchee Brown (Rockville) – Eastern's second-leading scorer – left the game in the opening minutes with an injury after scoring Eastern's first basket two minute into play.

Eastern hosts Massachusetts Boston in a conference game Saturday at  3 p.m.