HARTFORD, Conn. – Junior guard Tarchee Brown (Rockville) scored 17 of his game-high 24 points in the second half and freshman point guard Carlos Gonzalez (Springfield, MA) scored 14 of his 18 points after the break to power the Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team to a 72-65 win over Trinity College Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the Trinity College Holiday Invitational at the Ferris Athletic Center.

A winner of six of seven since a 1-4 start, Eastern (7-5) erased a seven-point deficit in the opening minutes of the second half with a 24-4 burst over ten minutes – allowing Trinity (6-5) just one field goal in that stretch to move out to a 64-51 lead with five minutes remaining. The final seven-point margin was the closest Trinity got the rest of the way.

Eastern has defeated the Bantams seventh straight times since losing 85-77 in the final of the 2007-08 Trinity Invitational. Like Eastern, Trinity had entered this year's title game a winner of five of its previous six. 

After failing to find double figures in scoring for only the second time this year  in Friday's first-round victory over Manhattanville College, Brown contributed 15 points in the 24-4 scoring run Saturday, scoring all ten of the game's points in one stretch and 12 straight team points on a selection of short jumpers an d drives to the basket.

Gonzalez equaled his season-high scoring total with his 18 points. With the Warriors trailing by eight points in the opening minutes of the second half and in danger of falling out of contention, Gonzalez nailed a pair of three-pointers 50 seconds apart, and following an inside bucket by senior forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield), drained his final of four three-pointers that kick-started the 24-4 scoring surge. 

Lindo, who effectively shut down Manhattanville's top scorer and rebounder in Friday's opening victory, continued to perform on the defensive end of the floor Saturday by drawing consecutive offensive fouls 34 seconds apart with under eight minutes left against Trinity. With Trinity looking to cut into Eastern's 56-51 lead, Lindo drew an offensive foul that set up Brown's jumper in the paint to restore a seven-point lead. Lindo followed by drawing another charge at the other end, and Brown answered with another hoop in the paint that made it 60-51 with 6:45 left.  Brown connected on his sixth consecutive field goal less than a minute later with a short bank shot to give the Warriors their first double-digit lead (62-51) with just over six minutes remaining. 

Eastern's lead ballooned to 15, 71-56, before the Bantams made a late belated run when sophomore reserve guard Paul Colson tossed in seven points in an inconsequential final 65 seconds.

Eastern's ability to remain virtually foul-free in the second half  paid dividends as the hosts never attempted a bonus free throw. The Warriors' late double-digit lead also  made their inability to convert free throws during the weekend a moot point. Eastern was just 2-of-6 from the stripe in the second half against Trinity, missing its first three before sinking two of its final three in the final two minutes.

Gonzalez and Brown combined for 16-of-28 from the floor, including 13-of-19 when the Warriors sank 60.7 percent of their second-half field goals. The pair combined for 31 of the team's 40 second-half points. Brown had seven rebounds and four assists in the game, Gonzalez three assists and three steals, with Lindo finishing with ten points (eight in the second half), five rebounds and three assists.

The Warriors led by six with seven minutes left in the first half but the hosts held Eastern scoreless from the floor in an 8-1 run to move ahead by a point with three minutes left before junior guard Kendall Marquez (Willimantic) helped the Warriors re-gain momentum by completing a four-point play with a three-pointer and ensuing free throw with 2:44 left. Marquez came off the bench to connect on six of 12 three-pointers in the tournament. Against Trinity, he had eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals without a turnover in 24 minutes.

At right: Tarchee Brown scored 17 of his game-high 24 points in the second half, including 10 straight which carried the Warriors to a 13-point lead with five minutes left.

Trinity's Ed Ogundeko, a 6-foot-5, 230 pound senior who was on the bench during the opening minutes of Eastern's second-half surge, finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots in 22 minutes. The Warriors had cashed in 14 straight points during its eventual 24-4 burst before Ogundeko stemmed the tide with all four of his team's points with an inside basket and two free throws.

While Eastern managed just 7-of-14 from the foul line, the Warriors sank half of their 18 three-point attempts, while Trinity was off target on 13 of 16. In the tournament, Eastern was only marginally better from the free throw line, converting 48.5 percent of its three-pointers (16-of-33) and 52.6 of its free throws (20-of-38).

Lindo and Brown represented Eastern on the all-tournament team. In two games, Lindo had 31 points (13-of-23 FG), 16 rebounds, seven assists, six steals and a blocked shot; Brown 33 points (13-of-29), eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals.

Eastern hosts No. 3 nationally-ranked Amherst College Tuesday at 7 p.m.