Box Score PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Johnson & Wales men's basketball team used a 17-3 run over six minutes of the first half to build a 15-point lead on the way to a 78-61 non-conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Thursday evening.
With Johnson & Wales (3-1) leading by one point, junior guard Justin Bullock sank three free throws, then canned a three-point field goal minutes later to spark the 17-3 burst and send the Wildcats to their first win over Eastern (0-3) in the last three meetings.
The Warriors never led in the game and were never able to cut the Wildcat to single digits after the midway point of the first half. They trailed by 13 at the break.
Johnson & Wales outscored Eastern by nine from the foul line on the strength of 82.4 percent sooting (14-of-17) from the stripe, with its bench outscoring the Warriors' bench by 13, 21-8.
Senior
Jake Collagan (Wethersfield), junior
Cory Muckle (Westbrook) and freshman
Thomas Close (East Hampton) -- all guards -- combined for 46 of Eastern's 61-point total. Collagan had 17 points, Muckle 15 and Close (6-of-10 from the floor) 14, with Collagan also handing ouf four assists.
Bullock topped all players with 26 points, with senior Brian Hogan-Gary adding 19 for Johnson & Wales, winners of three straight. Bullock was 9-of-14 from the floor, which included 5-of-8 from distance, and sank his three free thwos. Hogan-Gary scored seven of his points on ten free-throw attempts.
Eastern opens its home season Tuesday, hosting Wesleyan University in a non-conference game at 6 p.m.
