Box Score DANBURY, Conn. -- Senior Fenton Bradley (Mansfield, Conn.) scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead four players in double figures, as Western Connecticut posted a 72-59 victory over UMass Dartmouth in a battle for the top spot in the Little East Conference men's basketball standings Saturday afternoon at Feldman Arena.
The host Colonials (15-7, 9-4 LEC) saw the visiting Corsairs (14-9, 9-5 LEC) race out to a 10-1 lead three minutes into the contest, but Western Connecticut used a 17-5 run over an eight minute stretch to take a 20-17 edge on freshman Jaheim Young's (Brooklyn, N.Y.) jumper with 8:09 to play in the half. The two squads traded the lead four times over the final six minutes before the Colonials grabbed a 34-31 advantage at the break, and a Bradley lay-in capped a 9-2 run that opened the second half and extended the hosts' lead to 10 (43-33) with 16:53 remaining in the contest.
UMass Dartmouth cut that margin to six (45-39) on a pair of free throws from sophomore Drew Plante (Swansea, Mass.) with just over 12 minutes to play, but Bradley and Young combined to help push Western Connecticut's advantage to as much as 17 points in the closing minutes with a 17-7 run that sealed the triumph and gave the Colonials a half game lead over the Corsairs atop the Little East.
Sophomore Ahmod Privott (Middletown, Conn.) added 11 points and nine rebounds in the win for Western Connecticut, which received 10 points each and a combined eight boards from Young and senior Tracy Cleckley (Rosedale, N.Y.). Freshman Ryan Alkins (St. Albans, N.Y.) added eight points and four caroms for the Colonials, who shot 43 percent (30-70) from the floor and held a 48-44 rebounding advantage on the afternoon.
Freshman Taylor Carlson (Wareham, Mass.) scored 12 points off the bench in the setback for UMass Dartmouth, which received 10 points, six rebounds and five steals from sophomore Marcus Azor (Brockton, Mass.) along with 10 points and four assists from sophomore Adam Seablom (Lakeville, Mass.). Plante chipped in with nine points for the Corsairs, who collected eight points and a game-high 12 caroms from senior Harry Alexander (Washington, D.C.). The visitors shot 28 percent (18-65) overall and just 6-of-29 from behind the arc while hurting themselves with 20 turnovers on the day.
Both teams will square off with UMass Boston in their next respective Little East Conference contests, as UMass Dartmouth heads into Boston for a league road clash on Wednesday evening that tips-off at 7:30 pm after Western Connecticut plays host to the Beacons on Monday afternoon at Feldman Arena for a 4:00 pm tip-off.
