DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by a pair of 20+ point nights from senior
Jackson Zancan and sophomore
Josh Lopes, the UMass Dartmouth men's basketball team overwhelmed Eastern Connecticut, 84-66, in Little East action on Wednesday at the Tripp Athletic Center. In addition to leading the game in scoring, Zancan scored his 1,000
th career point in the second half of this game. The win saw the Corsairs improve to 10-8 overall and 7-2 in the LEC. Meanwhile, the Warriors are now 4-15 overall with a 1-9 mark in conference play.
The Corsairs held a 42-30 lead after the opening half of play, with Lopes leading the way with 12 first-half points. Zancan got halfway to the number he needed to eclipse the 1,000-mark with eight first-half points. A layup by freshman Cedrick Similien gave the Warriors a three-point lead with 13:19 on the clock, but that would be the last lead the Corsairs would allow all game after a three-pointer from sophomore
John Marcille re-captured the lead with 12:26 remaining in the half.
Eastern Connecticut tried to claw their way back early in the second half, cutting their deficit down to nine on a layup from sophomore Dominick Dao. The Corsairs responded with a Lopes three-ball and a pair of free throws from Zancan.
After another jumper from Dao with 13:08 on the clock, Zancan attacked the post and scored a layup that marked his 15
th and 16
th points of the game, eclipsing 1,000 career points with the Corsairs. Head Coach
Brian Baptiste called a timeout to let the fifth-year senior and four-year starter soak in the moment as the crowd and his teammates went wild, letting him hear what he's meant to the program over the last five years.
After honoring Zancan's milestone, the Corsairs continued to feed off their positive momentum, pulling out to a 20-point advantage with 3:52 on the clock. The clock dwindles away as the Corsairs kept a comfortable lead, going on to win 84-66.
The Warriors were unable to find success from the three-point line throughout the contest, going 0-5 from deep. UMass Dartmouth out-paced the Warriors in several categories; Points Off Turnovers (18-0), 2
ndChance Points (13-4), Bench Scoring (26-8), Points in the Paint (48-20), Fast Break Points (17-1) and caused 20 turnovers to their seven. Despite shooting the ball poorly from three, the Corsairs out-paced Eastern Connecticut in several categories; Points off Turnovers (18-8), Second Chance Points (14-10), Points in the Paint (60-26) and Fast Break Points (14-10). The Warriors' bench outscored the Corsairs, 16-8. UMass Dartmouth recorded eight steals and forced 16 turnovers.
Eastern Connecticut, paced throughout by Dao, saw the sophomore guard put up 20 points on 8 for 10 from the field. Dao went a smoldering hot 4 for 5 from deep, also recording seven rebounds and three assists. The Warriors also saw freshman Esco Greene tally 11 points on an efficient 6 for 8 from the floor. Sophomore Jalen Hamblin was one point off of a double-double, hauling in 10 boards and scoring nine.
The Corsairs were paced by Zancan's game-high 22 points on 8 for 15 from the field and a perfect 6 for 6 from the free throw line. Lopes was right behind him with 21 points on 10 of 20 from the field. Lopes also recorded nine boards, six assists and four steals. Senior
Isaac Percy added an efficient 14 points on 6 for 8 shooting. Senior
Michael Eurquhart Jr. put up a steady 12 points of his own and blocked two shots.
The Corsairs hit the road again on Saturday, traveling to Plymouth State for a 3:00pm LEC bout against the Panthers.
