Box Score
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Defense was its trademark when the Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team ruled the Little East Conference for nearly ten years in the second decade of the 2000s.
 
Wednesday afternoon, a strong defensive showing by the Warriors (11-4, 3-3 LEC) lifted them to a 77-42 LEC victory over VTSU Castleton (5-10, 0-6 LEC) at Geissler Gymnasium, holding the Spartans nearly 30 points below their season average and to 30.2 percent shooting from the floor. The Spartans' point total was by far their lowest tally in any game this season.
 
Although it entered the game without an LEC victory, Castleton was proving it could compete with the Warriors early on. Senior forward Will Radcliff was the main offensive threat for the Spartans, earning 6 of his 14 points before the Warrior run that carried them through the rest of the first half.

As always, junior forward Julian Sanchez (Willimantic) brought a spark off the bench. Sanchez scored 13 points in just nine minutes and 27 seconds to close out the half. He finished with a game-high 21 points. After going 7-of-8 from the floor in a 15-point first half, Sanchez (ranked second in New England in field goal percentage) finished 10-of-16 from the floor in the game, several of his five second-half misses rimming out.
 
Little East rebound leader Radcliff was limited to just five in the game, as Eastern outrebounded the Spartans by 20. The Warriors were led by junior forward Drew Soltis (Bridgeport) who had seven of his own, accompanied by senior guard Dominick Dao (Terryville) and Sanchez, who each had six. Soltis and Sanchez rank in the top seven in the conference's rebounding category.
 
Senior guard Michael Carothers (Queens, NY) sank his only two field goals of the game, but New England's  assist leader added another five today. Carothers is still the only player in the LEC to break 100 assists in the 2025-26 season. UMass Dartmouth's Danny Reyes ranks second with 79 assists. As a team, the Spartans did not move the ball well enough against the Warrior defense, collectively earning just six assists, just two in the second half.
 
The Warriors benefited from guard help off the bench, with both junior guard Cedrick Similien (Norwich) and senior guard Javontae Jones (Lumberton, NJ) playing 13 minutes against the Spartans. The pair combined for 12 points, contributing to Eastern's 39 by the end of the game. With the boost from Sanchez, the Warrior bench outscored the starters by a singular point.
 
With the game reaching its closing moments, the Warriors were firmly control and had the luxury of using every player on their roster. Senior center Jaden Jones (Waterbury) was able to feature for the first time as a Warrior. Entering the game with just a minute and 15 seconds to play, the transfer from AIC was able to record two offensive rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
 
The Warriors head on the road for a Little East Conference matchup against the Huskies of the University of Southern Maine in the 98th meeting since 1941/42 between the two Original Six members of the Little East. The 3 p.m. tip-off this Saturday will take place at Warren Hill Gymnasium.
 
On Wednesday, the Huskies (9-6, 4-2 LEC) edged UMass Dartmouth, 95-89, to remain undefeated in six home games this year. Last year, USM swept the Warriors in the home-and-home series for the second straight year. In those games, Southern Maine guard Thomas Whelan had a combined 52 points to help the Huskies to a pair of double-digit wins. Prior to USM's current four-game winning streak, Eastern had won ten of the previous 12 in the series.