Box Score
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Having been mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the Little East Conference men's basketball tournament after losing three of its previous four LEC games, Plymouth State University could only play the spoiler in Saturday's regular-season finale against Eastern Connecticut State University at Foley Gymnasium.
 
Needing its first LEC sweep of the year (against Plymouth) and some help from Western Connecticut State University in its game at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Eastern made the Western Connecticut-UMass Dartmouth outcome moot (for the record, UMD lost in the final second, 96-94, after leading by seven with 1:33 left and by four with 47 seconds left) in what proved to be a season-ending 65-57 loss to Plymouth State that left the former four-time LEC tournament champions on the outside looking in at this coming week's  conference tournament for the second straight season.
 
Although Eastern (14-11, 5-11 LEC) had won eight of 13 games away from Geissler Gymnasium this year, Plymouth (12-13, 5-11 LEC) finished 10-5 at Foley Gymnasium after gaining a split of the season series with Eastern. Both teams finish the season sharing seventh place in the nine-team conference, one game behind sixth-seeded UMass Dartmouth and three behind No. 5 University of Southern Maine.
 
Regardless of Saturday's outcomes, the top four seeds entered the day locked in, with Keene State College No. 1, Western Connecticut No. 2, Rhode Island College No. 3 and the University of Massachusetts Boston No. 4.
 
Eastern, which had survived 20 turnovers to record its 62-54 win over Plymouth a month ago at Geissler Gym, was outscored by 11 in the second half Saturday after taking a three-point lead into the second half. Plymouth broke a tie and took the lead for good, 40-38, five minutes into the second half on a pair of free throws by senior guard Kevin Henry, and senior forward Eli Swanson's three-point field goal off Eastern's missed inside attempt made it a five-point game. The Warriors got as close as one on sophomore guard Esco Greene's (New Britain) driving layup before Plymouth answered with seven straight points, pushing the lead to eight (50-42) on another Swanson three-pointer with nine minutes left.
 
Sophomore guard Cedrick Similien (Norwich), sophomore forward Julian Sanchez (Willimantic) and junior guard Dominick Dao (Terryville) combined for 44 of Eastern's final point total. Similien had 16 points (6-of-9 FG/3-of-4 from distance), Sanchez 15 and Dao 13, with Sanchez leading both teams with 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the year. In the final game of his career, senior forward Sheriff Bilewu (Waterbury) grabbed seven rebounds and had two steals and two assists and hitting his only field goal attempt before fouling out with 87 seconds left.