DANBURY, Conn. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth men's basketball team were bested by Western Connecticut State University on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 86-74. The Corsairs fell to 2-5 Little East Conference (LEC) record while the Wolves improved to a 5-3 league record.
Junior
John Marcille knocked down a triple to open the scoring for UMass Dartmouth before graduate student
Isaac Percy splashed his first three-pointer to tie the game up at 6-apiece. The Wolves scored the next five points to pull away with an 11-6 lead which was disrupted by a driving layup from junior
Josh Lopes to make it an 11-8 game. Percy clipped in his second triple of the afternoon to cut Western Connecticut State's lead down to two-points with 14:37 on the clock. Graduate student
Michael Eurquhart Jr. made a statement for the Corsairs with back-to-back dunks to even the score at 17-17.
First year
Camden DiChiara, the LEC Rookie of the Week honoree, knocked down a three-pointer nearing the midway point of the half to give UMass Dartmouth a 22-21 edge. After Lopes finished a pair of free throws, junior
Nic Boyd drained a shot from range off the assist from graduate student
Jayquan Leonard to extend their advantage to 27-23. Marcel Henry knotted the game up at 29-apeice with his layup entering the final seven minutes of the first half.
The Corsairs generated a 9-2 run that was kicked off by a triple from Percy and DiChiara posting the other six points to go ahead 38-33. The Wolves quickly answered connecting the next eight straight points together to regain a 41-38 lead with under two minutes left on the clock. Lopes finished a pair of late baskets for UMass Dartmouth but home team took a 43-42 edge heading into the break.
Percy got the Corsair offense going to start the second half with a good triple with Boyd picking up the assist to even the score at 45-45. Boyd then got the hand sinking a pair of three-pointers to give UMass Dartmouth a three-point advantage. With 14:15 on the clock, Malik Cole once again leveled the game at 57-apeice after making 1-of-2 free throws. The Corsairs took a 60-59 edge over the Wolves thanks to another three-pointer from Boyd, but Western Connecticut State generated a 13-0 run midway through the half to pull away with a 72-60.
First year
Danny Reyes responded for the Corsairs finishing an and-one play followed by a triple from DiChiara to make 74-66. Cameron Gallon knocked down a late three-pointer for the Wolves enroute to an 86-74 win over the Corsairs to improve to a 5-3 conference record.
Percy led the squad with 18 points making 7-of-8 shots from the field featuring four made three-pointers (4-5 3-FG), two rebounds, one assist, and a steal. DiChiara posted a 16 point game for the Corsairs going 5-of-9 from the floor with three triples (3-6 3-FG) and a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. Eurquhart Jr. hauled in a season-high 16 rebounds and 10 points (5-7 FG) for his seventh career double-double and first of the season. Boyd (4-8 FG, 4-7 3-FG) and Lopes (4-12 FG, 2-3 FT) each posted double digits for UMass Dartmouth in the loss.
UMass Dartmouth return to Tripp Athletic Center to host Keene State College on Wednesday, Jan. 22 for their next conference showdown. The LEC contest is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start time.
