Box Score PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team was able to remain close thanks in part to 19 missed free throws by Rhode Island College, but the Anchormen countered by turning the ball over only seven times in spoiling the Warriors' 2020-21 debut with a 79-75 Little East Conference victory Saturday afternoon at the Murray Center.
 
As the first Eastern athletic team to face outside competition in nearly 11 months, the Warriors scored seven straight points to pull even, 69-69, with five minutes left before Rhode Island (1-1, 1-1 LEC) responded with five straight points on the strength of a banked straightaway jumper and a three-point field goal from freshman Dante Law to regain a five-point lead, 74-69, with 3:36 left.
 
Rhode Island, which had lost nine of ten against Eastern before sweeping the Warriors for the first time in nine years last season, scored its final five points on ten free-throw attempts over the final two minutes to hang on.
 
Law, who finished 5-of-12 from the stripe, missed the second of a two-shot foul with 13.8 seconds left that left RIC clinging to a 77-75 lead. Senior guard Cory Muckle (Westbrook) grabbed his career-high 16th rebound after the miss to give the Warriors a chance to tie or go-ahead, but Muckle stepped out of bounds while attempting to save a tipped pass with 4.2 seconds left that gave the ball back.
 
Eastern again had a chance to tie after sophomore guard Jahden Erold made only one of two free throws with 4.2 seconds left, but RIC – leading by three -- quickly fouled the Warriors on the inbounds and Eastern couldn't convert the front end of a one-and-one opportunity that effectively sank its hopes.
 
A run of seven straight points in the first six minutes of the game pushed Eastern into a six-point lead -- its largest of the game --  and the Warriors closed the first half with nine straight points to cut RIC's largest lead of the game (41-29) to three at the half. The Warriors got points from four different players in that final burst, with junior Tyreice Woods (Hartford) banging a long three-pointer off an inbounds pass and freshman point guard Jaylin Palmer (East Hartford) completing a three-point play with a free throw so spark the late rush.
 
Despite limited practice time, the teams combined for only three first-half turnovers, but Eastern turned the ball over 14 times in the second half, with three critical ones coming in the final four-plus minutes.
 
Each team featured 12 freshmen and sophomores on its respective roster. RIC started four freshmen and had only nine active players at its disposal, and three starters combined to play all but one minute. Law, last week's LEC Rookie-of-the-Week, led all players with 26 points (10-of-15 FG) and grabbed six rebounds, and  sophomore Shion Darby, last year's LEC Rookie-of-the-Year, had 23 points (10-of-21 FG) and eight assists as the pair combined for over 60 percent of their team's points.  
 
In his first appearance this year, Muckle posted a double-double with a team-high 22 points to go along with his game-high 16 rebounds. Woods had a career-high 13 points and handed out four assists. Junior guard Thomas Close (East Hampton) had six rebounds and ten points – nailing a three-pointer off an inbounds pass after grabbing an offensive rebounds that cut RIC's lead to one, 75-74, with 1:22 left. Palmer, who played 30 minutes in his collegiate debut, also chipped in ten points and handed out a team-high six assists. Junior forward Sharown Fowler (Springfield, MA) – the team's second-leading returning scorer behind Muckle – picked up two fouls in the opening minutes and was limited to 12 minutes of action. He had six rebounds but was held scoreless from the floor and to two points.
 
Eastern opens its home season Wednesday against Keene State College at 5:30 p.m. All ten of the Warriors' scheduled regular-season games are against conference opponents.