DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by double-figure efforts from six different players, including a career-high 19 points from senior guard
Jayquan Leonard, UMass Dartmouth defeated UMass Boston, 103-83, in the First Round opener of the Little East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
The third-seeded Corsairs move to 15-11 on the season – advancing to their sixth-straight LEC Semifinals appearance. UMass Dartmouth will head to Western Connecticut State on Thursday, facing-off against the second-seeded Wolves at 6pm in Danbury. The sixth-seeded Beacons conclude their season with a 7-19 overall mark.
After a close start to the contest, the homestanding Corsairs made a quick statement as a 9-0 run, including a three-pointer from senior forward
Michael Eurquhart Jr. opened up a 15-5 lead with 15:34 to play in the frame.
The Corsairs continued to press, widening the gap as a Leonard layup made it a 21-11 margin minutes later. A pair of free throws from Beacons' sophomore guard Carson Meczywor closed the gap to 25-15 at the 9:55 mark, but another strong run – this time a 12-0 flurry – made it a 37-15 contest. Sophomore center
Ryan Flauto posted six points during the stretch.
UMass Boston capitalized on a pair of free throws from junior guard Emanuel Zayas with 2:49 remaining in the half, but the Corsairs headed into the locker room with the 52-29 lead following a shot from beyond the arc by sophomore guard
John Marcille.
Out of the intermission, the Beacons got a layup from sophomore forward Erik Donaldson to help close the gap, but a layup from fifth-year forward
Jackson Zancan, coupled with another trey from Marcille opened a 57-31 advantage with 17:06 to go.
UMB junior forward Corrie Byrd dropped in a three, but the Corsairs continued to counter as Leonard matched it with one of his own at the other end for a 68-39 lead at the 14:01 mark. UMass Dartmouth used a 10-2 run to further stretch their lead, as another Marcille trey pushed the score to 78-43 with 11:51 remaining.
The visitors got three's from sophomore guards Clayton McLaren and Hector Perez to narrow the margin to 84-54 at 9:27, but the Corsairs continued their hot shooting as Leonard dropped in a pair of free throws – coupled with a three-pointer at 5:47 to open up a 91-65 margin.
UMass Boston got another jumper from McLaren with just over three minutes to play, but the Corsairs capitalized down the stretch on Beacons' turnovers and fouls, drilling several free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
Leonard, who also added five rebounds and a game-high six assists, went 3-for-5 from three-point range and a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Marcille finished with a game-high 22 points, going 6-for-10 from the floor, 4-for-7 from three-point range and 6-for-7 at the free throw line. Zancan added 16 points and eight rebounds, while Flauto, Eurquhart Jr. and senior guard
Isaac Percy each posted 10 points.
For the Beacons, Zayas recorded 17 points, while rookie forward Cameron Love added 12 points. Senior forward Anthony Gauthier dropped in 13 points with four rebounds, while McLaren and sophomore forward Connor Walden each added 10 points.
The Corsairs, who led the entire contest, shot 81.5% (22-27) from the free throw line, and were 36-68 (52.9%) from the floor for the contest. UMass Boston held the edge from three-point range, going 9-for-15 (60.0%) for the night.
