PROVIDENCE, R.I. –The Rhode Island College men's basketball team erased an 11-point deficit late in the first half with a 25-6 run over 10 minutes, reversing a 33-point loss to Eastern Connecticut State University seven weeks ago in a 58-56 Little East Conference triumph Saturday afternoon at the Murray Center.

Eastern (13-7, 7-2 LEC) turned the ball over only 11 times and outscored Rhode Island (4-15, 2-6 LEC) by 16 points on second-half opportunities (thanks to 23 offensive rebounds), but shot its lowest percentage (31.7) since the season-opener in losing to the Anchormen for the first time in the last four games.

Having now dropped its last two LEC games by a total of three points, Eastern had its conference lead trimmed to one game after visiting University of Southern Maine downed Western Connecticut, 76-69, to forge a two-way tie for second place with the Colonials, both teams at 6-3.

Eastern led by 11 points, 27-16, with 4:35 left in the first half after scoring 12 consecutive points, before the hosts outscored the visitors12-1 over the remaining minutes of the first half, then  outscored Eastern 13-5 over the first five minutes of the second half to move out to an eight-point, 41-33 lead.

Senior guard Trachone Preston's (Enfield) only three-pointer of the game sliced RIC's lead to two, 41-39, with 13 minutes left, and the Warriors trailed by three, 54-51, after junior forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) sank two free throws with just under a minute left. Eastern made it a one-possession game after junior forward David Canny (Torrington) grabbed the rebound of a missed free throw, but Eastern failed to connect on an inside basket with 22 seconds left, and RIC freshman guard Brandon Williams' two free throws with 14 seconds left all but sealed Eastern's fate.

Rhode Island canned 12 of 15 free throws in the game while Eastern was 13-of-22 from the stripe and failed on 15 of 20 three-point field goal tries.

Sophomore guard Chris Green, accounted for nearly half of Rhode Island's point, totaling 28 as his team's only double-digit scorer. Freshman center Jason Jones led RIC with 12 rebounds – his second game of at least ten rebounds this year against Eastern.  

Lindo recorded his tenth straight double-double with 12 points and a season-high 16 rebounds. Canny had his first double-double with 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench, while sophomore guard Tarchee Brown (Rockville) added 11 points and four assists.

Eastern hosts Plymouth State University Saturday at 3 p.m.