WILLIMANTIC, Conn. --  The top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball teams started fast and the top-seeded women's basketball team finished fast as both teams moved into the semifinal round of the 2016 Little East Conference basketball tournaments with first-round wins Tuesday night.

The Eastern men (18-8) remained undefeated in nine home games this year by racing to a 23-5 lead midway through the first half in posting a 93-65 victory over No. 8 Massachusetts Boston (6-19). The Eastern women (20-6) shot 60 percent in the second half to erase a three-point halftime deficit and post their tenth straight win over Plymouth State University (6-20), 68-58. The Warriors have won 20 games in ten of the last 16 years and have captured 13 of their last 15 overall this year.

Eastern will host the LEC men's and women's Final Four this weekend at Geissler Gymnasium.

The defending tournament champion Eastern women  meet No. 5 Massachusetts Dartmouth (18-8) Friday at 5 p.m., while No. 2 Keene State College (22-4) faces the winner of Wednesday's first-round game between No. 6 Massachusetts Boston and No. 3 Western Connecticut State University Friday at 7:30 p.m. The women's final is set for Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Eastern men play Saturday at  5 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday night's first-round game between No. 5 Western Connecticut and No. 4 Massachusetts Dartmouth in the first semifinal. Seventh-seeded Rhode Island College (6-20) meets No. 3 Keene State College (16-10) at 7:30 p.m. The men's final is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m.

Eastern Women Rally

After defeating Plymouth State by an average of nearly 30 points in two regular-season games this year, the Warriors trailed by five late in the first half and by three at halftime. In the second half, Eastern shot 60 percent from the floor. Senior Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, MA) canned six of seven shots in scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds, junior guard Jordyn Nappi (Southington) had ten points, and junior guard Julia DePoi (Brookfield) had nine points and eight rebounds as Eastern outscored the Panthers 41-28.

Plymouth junior guard Ace Lawrence led all players with 26 points on 10-of-22 field goal shooting, and freshman guard Brittany Roche was 4-of-6 from three-point range off the bench en route to 14 points. Lawrence had averaged only 12 points in Plymouth's two losses this year to Eastern and  Roche had managed but one three-pointer.

Nappi finished with 18 points, Ritrosky adding 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists, DePoi 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Leumene Gets Men Out Quickly

Senior guard Kevin Leumene (Stamford) scored Eastern's first eight points with the help of a conventional three-pointer to open the scoring and later a three-point field goal as the Warriors reached 90 points for the first time since November.

Leumene scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the first half (6-of-9 from the floor) to stake Eastern to a 16-point, 40-24 halftime lead.

The Beacons managed to cut the gap to 12 points five minutes into the second half. Leading by 13 with 13 minutes left, the Warriors salted away the win with a modest but decisive 8-0 run to regain a 21-point, 63-42 cushion. Leumene contributed another conventional three-point play in that spurt, with junior center David Canny (Torrington) adding a free throw and inside bucket and freshman guard Tyrell Arnum (Bloomfield) chipping in an inside basket.

Leumene led five double-digit scorers with a season-high 21 points (8-of-13 from the floor), senior guard Michael-Thomas Sciro (Westerly, RI) adding a season-high 17 (4-of-6 from three-point range), Arnum career-highs of 16 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench, senior guard Trachone Preston (Enfield) 11 points and a career-high nine rebounds and junior forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) ten points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Leumene also helped Eastern to a 50-34 advantage on the boards with eight rebounds.

Led by Sciro, the Warriors converted nine of 16 three-point field goals. Leumene was 3-of-5 from long range.

Senior guard Michael Campbell led UMB with 18 points, senior guard Quadry Allen adding 15 and junior center Sam Freeman ten points and a team-high six rebounds.