Box Score
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team succeeded in keeping Little East Conference free throw leader Nic Boyd of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth from reaching the foul line, but little else went right Tuesday evening as the Warriors dropped their second conference decision in four days, 94-82, at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
While the home court has proven to be a major advantage for both Eastern (9-3, 1-2 LEC) and UMass Dartmouth (8-4, 2-1 LEC) in the last 20 games of the series -- each team winning seven of ten on their home court in that stretch, it did not figure that way Tuesday as Eastern lost its second straight at home this year after winning its first five.
Boyd, a 5-foot-11 inch senior guard, was 24-of-25 from the stripe heading into the game but did not merit an attempt. He was far from neutralized, however, as he canned half of his 14 field goal as one of five UMD double-digit scorers, finishing with 16 points. He was also guilty of only one turnover in 32 minutes in helping his team to a nine-point advantage in points off turnovers.
Despite being limited to just six games this year, sophomore guard Camden DiChiara stepped in for Boyd, sinking all five of his free throws (and three of four three-pointers) in helping the LEC's top-ranked free-throw shooting team convert 18 of 25 from the foul line.
Eastern, which rode 73.2 percent free throw shooting to an opening 9-1 record (the loss to defending national champion Trinity College), has faltered at the stripe in its two recent LEC home losses to Massachusetts Boston (83-79) Saturday and to the Corsairs tonight. In those two losses, Eastern has managed only 55.8 percent from the foul line (24-of-43), with those two opponents doubling the Warriors' point total at the stripe.
Eastern led only once in the game when senior forward
Jalen Hamblin (West Hartford), ironically, swished two opening free throws in the opening minute. From there, it was all UMass Dartmouth, the Corsairs riding to a quick ten-point lead (14-4), when 6-foot-11 inch senior Cam Dunbury hit two free throws after grabbing an offensive rebounds.
A modest 7-3 run near the midway point of the first half got the Warriors to within four points, but UMD used a 16-6 rush – highlighted by three-point field goals from DiChiara and Boyd – to open up a 40-25 in the final minutes of the first half.
The Corsairs settled for a nine-point halftime lead and the advantage never dipped below seven the rest of the way.
DiChiara led five UMD double-digit scorers with 20 points, with 6-foot-8 inch senior center Ryan Flauto coming off the bench for 19 points and six rebounds. Sophomore guard Danny Reyes had 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds and freshman guard Mahdee McNair 13 points and eight rebounds.
Behind Hamblin (game-high 27 points, five rebounds), Eastern got productivity off the bench in the forms of junior forward
Julian Sanchez (Willimantic) and senior guard
Pedro Perry (New London). Sanchez contributed his second double-double off the bench with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Ranked ninth nationally in field goal percentage, Sanchez improved his season percentage to 65.6 with a 7-of-11 performance. Perry added 12 points in 19 minutes. Ranked fifth nationally in assists, senior point guard
Michael Carothers (Queens, NY) handed out five.
Despite being badly outsized, Eastern outrebounded UMass by five, allowing only six second-chance points while scoring 14 following offensive rebounds.
Eastern visits four-time defending Little East tournament champion Keene State College (5-7, 2-2 LEC) Thursday at 6 p.m. at Spaulding Gymnasium, looking to end an eight-game skid at the hands of the hosts. The Owls were upended at Plymouth State University, 78-76, Tuesday night.
