WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut men's basketball (0-1) dropped its season opener to New Paltz (2-0), 76-62, in Geissler Gymnasium on Saturday (Nov. 7).
Julian Sanchez led the Warriors with 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double.
Drew Soltis also finished with a double-double, posted 14 points and a team-high 13 rebounds.
Cooper Steele picked up 13 points in his first collegiate game.
Halfway through the first half, New Paltz took a 22-10 lead after a three but the Warriors battled back. Steele hit two threes that bookended a basket by Sanchez to pull within four at 22-18. With under four minutes to play, James Karsten hit a layup and Steele made back-to-back layups to put Eastern up 26-25.
Free throws by Sanchez with a minute left in the half made the score 30-27 but New Paltz hit a three right before the buzzer to send the game to halftime tied at 30.
The second half started with an 8-0 New Paltz run and Eastern was playing catch-up for the last 17 minutes of the game. An
AJ Edwards three made the score 40-36 but New Paltz responded with a run that would push the score to 51-40.
New Paltz would push its lead to 16 during the last half of the second half and Eastern would not be able to get any closer than 11 the rest of the way.
UP NEXT
Eastern will be on the road for its next game, heading the Johnson & Wales (R.I.) on Wednesday (Nov. 11) at 7 p.m.
