Box Score DANBURY, Conn. -- Junior Shea Tracy (New Britain, Conn.) scored 18 points to lead five players in double figures, as top-seeded Western Connecticut earned its first Little East Conference men's basketball tournament championship in 15 years with an 88-75 victory over second-seeded UMass Dartmouth in the 2020 title game played Saturday afternoon at Feldman Arena.
The host Colonials, who improve to 20-7 overall on the season, earn the conference's automatic berth into next week's NCAA Division III championship field, as Western Connecticut claimed its sixth overall league tournament crown. The visiting Corsairs, who were making their record 15th appearance in the title game, end their campaign at 16-11 overall.
Western Connecticut came out firing in the first 4:04 of the contest, as the Colonials connected on seven of their first nine attempts from the floor to take a 16-0 lead at the first media timeout. That margin grew to 19 points (30-11) on freshman Jaheim Young's (Brooklyn, N.Y.) lay-in with 8:28 to play in the half, but UMass Dartmouth stormed back to close the half on a 29-9 run ignited by eight combined points from sophomore Sean Leahy (Hanson, Mass.) and freshman Taylor Carlson (Wareham, Mass.), as junior Jake Ashworth's (Fairhaven, Mass.) lay-in with 41 ticks remaining before the break capped the run and staked the visitors to a 40-39 edge at intermission.
Each team held three point advantages in the first 7:34 of the second half, as senior Marquis Jones (Randolph, Mass.) gave UMass Dartmouth its final edge of the afternoon with a lay-in. A pair of free throws from freshman Ryan Alkins (St. Albans, N.Y.) gave Western Connecticut the lead for good on the ensuing possession helped the hosts take a seven point lead (63-56) with just over nine minutes to play, and after Ashworth's three-point cut that margin to four, senior Fenton Bradley's (Mansfield, Conn.) jumper restored the Colonials' seven point edge with 6:24 remaining.
The Corsairs crept back to within five (70-65) on senior Harry Alexander's (Washington, D.C.) lay-in with 5:02 to play, but junior Legend Johnson (Waterbury, Conn.) sparked a decisive 10-2 run that extended Western Connecticut's advantage to 13 points (80-67) with a three-pointer and a pair of free throws. Bradley iced the Colonials' crown with four free throws in the final 34 seconds of action, as the hosts ended the game on a 34-21 run.
Bradley posted a double-double effort of 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win for Western Connecticut, which received 12 points and four assists off the bench from Johnson along with 11 points from sophomore Ahmod Privott (Middletown, Conn.). Young finished with 10 points and seven boards for the Colonials, who shot an even 50 percent (31-62) from the field and connected for seven three-pointers while canning 19-of-24 attempts at the charity stripe. The hosts held a 42-36 rebounding advantage in overcoming 18 turnovers for the contest.
Alexander finished with 13 points and six rebounds in the setback for UMass Dartmouth, which received 13 points and three steals from Ashworth. Leahy chipped in with 12 points, eight boards and three assists for the Corsairs, who also received 12 points and seven caroms from sophomore Marcus Azor (Brockton, Mass.). Sophomore Adam Seablom (Lakeville, Mass.) added 10 points for the visitors, who shot 41 percent (28-68) from the floor overall but connected on just 3-of-22 attempts from behind the arc on the afternoon.
