Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The top-rated defensive team in the Little East Conference, Eastern Connecticut State University limited the University of Southern Maine to 16 first-half points on 28.6 percent shooting and coasted to a 75-47 men's basketball victory Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasiium.
The win is the 27th straight in LEC regular-season play at home over five years, ninth straight and 12th in the last 13 for for Eastern (13-5, 7-0 LEC), which holds a two-game lead over Keene State College and Massachusetts Dartmouth at the halftway point of the conference season. The Warriors have won the last three LEC regular-season titles.
Trailing by 28 at halftime and by 32 four minutes into the second half, Southern Maine (6-11, 1-6 LEC) used a 21-5 run over nine minutes in the second half to slice the deficit to 16 with 7:24 left. Eastern answered by sinking seven of eight free throws over three minutes in a 7-0 run that returned the lead to 23, 63-40, with 4:37 left.
The game figured to feature the LECs top two scorers in Eastern junior guard Tarchee Brown (Rockville) and USM senior guard Zach Leal. Brown had a slow start but managed a team-high 13 points, while Zeal, averaging 18.0 points per game, missed his first start of the season due to illness.
At left: Prior to the first home game of the second semester, senior Hugh Lindo (far left) and junior Tarchee Brown (right) were presented with commemorative basketballs for accomplishments during the semester break. Lindo and Brown each scored their 1,000th points, and Lindo also became the program's all-time leading rebounder. The players flank head coach Bill Geitner. (Photo by Liam Murphy).
Ranked among the top ten nationally in rebounding and double-doubles and first in the conference in rebounding, senior forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) posted his sixth straight double-double with 12 points and a game-ten rebounds (eight in the second half) and also blocked two shots. Junior guard Kendall Marquez (Willimantic) came off the bench to connected on four of five three-pointers in the first half and finished with 12 points. Sophomore guard Tyrell Arnum (Bloomfield) and freshman guard Carlos Gonzalez (Springfield) added 11 points each. Brown matched 6-11 senior center David Canny (Torrington) with nine rebounds as the Warriors amassed a 50-31 advantage on the boards and Gonzalez handed out five assists.
The Warriors held significant margins in three key areas, outscoring USM 22-6 on second-chance points, 30-9 off turnovers and 22-6 off the bench.
After taking (and missing) only three shots in 16 minutes in a scoreless first half, junior guard Christian McCue led USM paced the second-half surge by scoring all 19 of his points, but was his team's only double-digit scorer. In the second half, McCue was 8-of-12 from the floor. Senior forward James Starks chipped in eight points and seven rebounds for the Huskies, who have dropped four of their last five.
Eastern visits Keene State College Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
