Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team outscored the University of Massachusetts Boston 24-2 over the first seven minutes – scoring 21 consecutive points – and coasted to a 75-57 Little East Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
Eastern (11-5, 5-0 LEC) remains the lone unbeaten in the conference after winning its fourth home game without a loss and defeating UMass Boston (5-10, 1-4 LEC) for the 14th straight time. The two-time defending LEC regular-season champion, Eastern has won 37 of its last 38 LEC regular-season games.
After trailing by that 22-point margin early, the Beacons erased 14 points off the deficit to cut the gap to single digits (28-20) before Eastern closed out the first half on an 11-2 tear to regain a 17-point lead at halftime. The visitors did not get closer than 13 the rest of the way.
Senior guard Kevin Leumene (Stamford), who had managed only 20 total points in his last five games, got the Warriors out quickly by scoring ten of his game total of 12 points in that opening 24-2 rush. He was one of four different players to contribute points in that run, with sophomore guard Tarchee Brown (Rockville) sinking his only three-point field goal of the game and later adding a dunk. Junior forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) added five of his game-high total of 16 points in those opening seven minutes, and 6-foot-11 inch junior center David Canny (Torrington) dropping in two inside buckets.
Lindo posted his sixth straight double-double game by also leading all players with 14 rebounds. Senior guard Trachone Preston (Enfield) was Eastern's third double-digit scorer, with 12 points to go along with five assists. Leumene also contributed six rebounds, four assists and four steals and Canny came off the bench for nine points (4-of-5 from the floor) and five rebounds in 12 minutes.
Trailing by 14 points with seven minutes left in the first half, the Beacons made their most extensive run with six consecutive points, getting buckets from junior forwards Sam Freeman and Kevin Louis-Jean and junior guard Neil Cesar to make it 28-20. Leading by those eight points, the Warriors regained the momentum going into the locker room with a final 11-2 scoring run. Preston began the spurt with an inside hoop off a defensive rebound from senior guard Michael-Thomas Sciro (Westerly, RI) and concluded it with a three-pointer.
Louis-Jean led UMB with eight points and six rebounds and senior guard Quadry Allen had eight points and six assists as the Beacons dropped their fifth straight.
Eastern hosts Western Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference game Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
