Box Score Courtesy of ECONN Sports Info.
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team sank three of its five three-point field goals in a span of less than five minutes late in the game to shake free from the University of Southern Maine and post a 67-53 Little East Conference victory in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
Coming off last year's perfect (14-0) conference season, Eastern (21-4, 13-1 LEC) won for the 32nd time in its last 33 conference regular-season games over the last three years in completing its sixth series sweep of Southern Maine (5-20, 2-12 LEC) in the last seven years.
Having earlier recorded its third LEC regular-season title in the last four seasons, top-seeded Eastern and No. 8 seed Southern Maine will have a return engagement in the first round of the LEC tournament Tuesday at Geissler Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.
Freshman guard Collin Jordan (Cheshire) scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half, sinking both of his three-point field goals in the final five minutes after the Huskies had cut a double-digit deficit to seven with just over five minutes left. With Eastern leading by six, 49-43, with six minutes left, freshman guard Tarchee Brown (Rockville) nailed his only three-pointer and Jordan drained his pair minutes later to provide Eastern with a ten-point cushion with 1:15 left.
Sophomore forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) scored 13 of his team-high 16 points and grabbed half of his team-high 12 rebounds in the first half in helping stake the Warriors to an 11-point, 36-25 halftime lead. Brown sat out nine minutes in the first half after picking up his second personal foul with nine minutes left in the first half but still finished with 11 points in the game. Thanks to Lindo (6-of-7) and Jordan (5-of-6), Eastern converted 18 of its 24 free throws, outscoring the visitors by 12 from the stripe.
Sophomore center Fred Knight (Hampden, ME) and junior guard Cole Libby (Buxton, ME) kept the Huskies within striking distance until the final minutes. Knight left the game for four minutes after being smacked in the eye while grabbing a rebound six minutes into the second half but eventually led all players with 19 points and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes. Libby added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists.
The 20-win season is the sixth straight under head coach Bill Geitner for the Warriors and the 21 victories are the most in the regular season in program history.
Playing his final regular-season game, senior forward Brandon Yarborough (Stamford) had seven points, five rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes before being lifted with 54.7 seconds left and the Warriors leading, 64-53.
Eastern and Southern Maine last met in the LEC tournament in the opening round in 2008, the Huskies eliminating the Warriors, 79-69, in Gorham, ME. The Warriors last beat USM in the LEC tournament in the 2000 championship game, 73-66, at Dartmouth, MA.
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