Box Score


WESTFIELD, Mass. – The outcome was a memorable one when the Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team last played in a tournament at Westfield State University's Woodward Center 12 years ago – netting the Warriors their first ECAC New England championship.
 
Although there may not have been as much on the line this weekend at the Rick Martin/Hampton Inn Classic, the outcome may have been just as important – in a different respect -- as the Warriors swept to the invitational title in convincing fashion, opening the 2024/25 season by winning two games by double figures.

Photo by Nik Lassonde '25
 
After routing St. John Fisher College, 89-65, in the opening round Friday night, Eastern pulled away with a 14-0 scoring spurt over seven minutes in the first half in an 80-66 victory over homestanding and defending tournament champion Westfield State University Saturday afternoon.
 
On the heels of a 1-9 start a year ago in a season which did not produce a second victory until Dec. 29, Eastern (2-0) hopes that the impressive start -- buoyed by the return of ten players from a year ago -- will set the tone for the new season.
 
In the first meeting with Westfield (1-1) since the 74-60 victory over the Owls in the 2013 ECAC final, Eastern shot 52 percent in the first half (after shooting 60 percent in the first half Friday night) in rolling up a 16-point halftime lead – its largest lead of the half -- and went on to its fifth straight win in the  71-game series with the Owls.
 
The Warriors trailed by one point seven minutes into the game before going on a 14-point tear and moved out to a 13-point, 26-13 lead with six minutes left. In that stretch, five different players contributed points while the Owls missed 13 straight shots and turned the ball over four times. Over nine minutes, Westfield did not score from the floor and managed just two free throws as Eastern pulled away.
 

Junior guard and tournament MVP Dominick Dao (Terryville), who led all players against St. John Fisher with 19 points, ignited the 14-point run with a jumper, with 6-foot-7 inch junior forward Jalen Hamblin (West Hartford) scoring twice inside and sophomore guard Pedro Perry (New London) sinking a three-pointer.
 
Hamblin (27 points/7 rebounds) and Dao (26/6) led all players on both teams with a combined 53 points on 20-for-37 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 shooting from the line. Dao was also 5-for-9 from distance and grabbed six rebounds. Perry and sophomore guard Cedrick Similien (Norwich) each finished with nine points, with Perry sinking four of five free throws and Similien connecting on all four of his field goals. Junior forward Julian Sanchez (Willimantic), who had 15 points (7-of-10 FG) to go along with six rebounds Friday, shared game-high rebounding honors with 11 – ten coming on the defensive board that helped the Warriors to a +11 advantage in that department. Second-year junior transfer guard Michael Carothers (Queens, NY) had seven assists and only two turnovers in 35 minutes. He also scored five points and had four rebounds.
 
Westfield, which had averaged 90 points in winning this tournament last year by an average of 19 points, was led in scoring by Angel Price-Espada (20) and in rebounding by Eric Johnson (11).
 
In two tournament games, Eastern shot 52 percent from the floor and 70 percent from the stripe and held a +3.0 advantage on the boards. Hamblin and Dao both averaged 22.5 points and both shot over 50 percent from the floor (Dao was 7-for-14 on three-pointers). Sanchez topped the team with an 8.5 rebounding average, Hamblin at 6.5 and Dao at 5.0. Carothers handed out a team-high 13 assists. Dao had nine assists and matched Hamblin with five steals, with Hamblin blocking four shots.
 
Before opening its Little East Conference and home season Dec. 4 against the University of Southern Maine at 7 p.m., Eastern plays the third of six straight road games that open the season next Sunday, Nov. 17 against Johnson & Wales University at 1 p.m. at the Wildcat Center in a non-conference game. Eastern has won three of the five games in the all-time series, coming off an 88-46 win in the last meeting three years ago at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. Johnson & Wales, which plays twice (at home) before hosting Eastern, finished 7-17 a year ago.