IN LITTLE EAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
Brice Assie’s (Bridgeport, CT) 21 second half points were instrumental in Western Connecticut State University’s opening round victory of the Little East Conference Tournament over Rhode Island College, 98-94. Assie finished with 26 points.
The Colonials’ senior forward Marvin Evans (Stratford, CT) added a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
Kamran Alemdar (Stockholm, Sweden) led Rhode Island College with 24 points.
Rhode Island finishes the season 11-15 overall.
Kevin Payette’s (Woonsocket, RI) jumper with 15:53 left in the first half gave the upset-minded Anchormen an early ten point lead, 14-4.
The Colonials scored the final eight points of the half cutting the Anchormen lead to one at half, 43-42.
The Colonials picked right up where they left off scoring the first five points of the second half, highlighted by a Assie’s monster dunk, giving them a 48-43 lead with 18:01 left in the half.
The Anchormen went on a run of their own over the next four minutes, eventually regaining the lead, 55-54, with 13:45 left in the game.
Jeff Gene’s (Bridgeport, CT) jumper with 9:47 left in the game put Western up one, 66-65. The Colonials would retain the lead for the rest of the game.
WestConn took full advantage of Rhode Island’s foul trouble making 16 of 24 foul shots in the final eight minutes of the game.
The Anchormen made a late charge scoring the last eight points of the game in the final 42 seconds highlighted by Alemdar’s two three pointers.
The Colonials will next play at the regular-season conference champions Keene State in the LEC semifinals this Friday at 8pm. Keene State defeated UMASS-Dartmouth, 82-68, in their first round game. In other action, Plymouth State defeated Southern Maine, 75-70 to advance to the next round. UMass Dartmouth faces Plymouth State at 6 p.m. at KSC after upsetting Eastern Connecticut 62-61.