Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut State University junior guard Tarchee Brown (Rockville) sank two free throws to break the 19th tie of the game with 17.6 seconds left in overtime, but Connecticut College senior forward Zuri Pavlin's three-point field with six seconds left in OT changed the lead for the 21st and final time as the Camels survived a wild game with an 83-81 victory Tuesday night at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
Eastern (1-3) had forced overtime when Brown was fouled on a three-point field goal attempt with 4.8 seconds left in regulation and connected on all three to tie the contest at 69-all. Conn College (3-0) trailed only once in overtime – following Brown's two freebies -- and scored what proved to be the winning points when Pavlin swished his only three-point field goal of the game from the left of the arc on a feed from sophomore guard Tyler Rowe.
Following Pavlin's go-ahead field goal, Eastern moved the ball into the front court and called timeout with 1.4 seconds left in overtime, but Brown's three-point bid from in front of the Eastern bench came after the final horn, bounding in any event off the rim.
Rowe, who scored 22 points in his team's 13-point victory over Eastern a year ago which ended a six-game skid at the hands of the Warriors, was limited to one field goal and four points in the first half but surged after the break and paced four Conn double-digit scorers with 17 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists.
Pavlin and senior forward Colin Pascoe each grabbed 12 rebounds for the Camels.
Senior forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) and Brown of Eastern led all scorers, combining for better than half of Eastern's total. Lindo put together his second straight double-double, leading both teams with 22 points – the second-highest mark of his career -- and 18 rebounds. Brown scored 15 of his 21 points after the break, keeping Eastern in contention by canning 11 of 12 free throws (9-of-10 after the half). Two Eastern starters managed only 7-of-27 from the floor, however, and as a team, the Warriors were off target on 20 of 24 three-point tries.
Neither team led by more than six points in the game, but Eastern could not extend leads of six points eight minutes into the second half and by five with just over nine minutes left on the scoreboard. The Warriors' six-point lead dissolved when the Camels answered with seven straight points on a three-pointer from junior guard Lee Messier and additional buckets by sophomore forward David Labossiere and junior forward Isaiah Robinson.
After building that earlier six-point lead back up to five on Brown's three-pointer and David Canny's short jump-hook with just over nine minutes left in regulation, the Warriors turned the ball over on consecutive possessions, missed successive free throws and failed on a short jumper. Given that opening, a three-pointer by Messier pushed Conn back in front, 61-59, with seven minutes left.
The 6-foot-5 inch Robinson, who sank a number of key medium-range jumpers, dropped in two free throws with 5:27 left in regulation, and Conn nursed that lead until Brown's clutch game-tying free throws with 4.8 seconds left. Leading by three in the final minute of regulation, Conn turnover the ball over on a travelling call near half court inside the final 15 seconds of regulation. Eastern failed on a potential three-point field goal with 13 seconds left, but Lindo grabbed the rebound. His put back fell off the rim and out of bounds, but Eastern was awarded possession. After a timeout, Brown was fouled on the inbounds pass and converted the three game-tying free throw.
For Conn, Robinson and senior forward Daniel Janel each tossed in 16 points and Messier tacked on 15 (12 after the break) and four assists. Behind Lindo and Brown for Eastern, freshman point guard Carlos Gonzalez (Springfield, MA) added 12 points.
Eastern senior center Brandon Kuczenski (Naugatuck) and sophomore point guard Jaysen Nunez (Hartford) both fouled out in the final six minutes of regulation and Labossiere of Conn followed suit with 1:40 left in overtime. The game's 53 fouls resulted in 64 free throw attempts. Both squads were 21-of-32 from the stripe.
Eastern is off to its first 1-3 start in nine years, with Conn also inflicting the third loss that season with an 87-54 triumph in New London.
Eastern faces Williams College Saturday at 2 p.m. in the first round of the Union College Sig Makofski Tournament.
