Providence, R.I.--Rhode Island College clinched a spot in the upcoming Little East Men's Basketball Championship as the Anchormen defeated Eastern Connecticut, 69-62, at The Murray Center on Wednesday night.
 
THE BASICS
Rhode Island College 69, Eastern Connecticut 62
Rhode Island College (14-10, 7-8 LEC)
Eastern Connecticut (5-19, 2-13 LEC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Senior guards KJ Uga (Hyde Park, Mass.) and Xavier Landers (Westwood, N.J.), along with team manager Skyler Delgado, were honored prior to the game as part of Senior Night.
 
• Strong team offense would allow the Anchormen to go on a 10-0 run and take a 14-4 lead with 12:45 remaining in the first half.
 
• Eastern Connecticut would go on a 14-3 run of its own over 7:09 to cut the RIC lead down to a single point, 26-25, at the half.
 
• The Anchormen offense soared to start the second half, going on a 20-4 run to rebuild a 17-point, 46-29, lead with 15:30 left in the contest.
 
• The Warriors defense would clamp down RIC for an extended period as the visitors slowly chipped away the Anchormen lead to make it a one-possession game, 57-54, with 2:29 remaining.
 
• Freshman guard Mike Paquette (Cranston, R.I.) would go 5-for-6 at the free throw line late in the game to help seal the victory for the Anchormen.
 
• Sophomore guard Isaiah Dahl (Cornelius, Ore.) scored a game-high 17 points.
 
• Freshman guard CJ Wilson (Hartford, Conn.) contributed eight points, nine boards, two assists and a pair of steals.
 
• Senior forward Ousmane Kourouma (Woonsocket, R.I.) netted 16 points, nine boards and three rejections.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will close out the regular season with a  Little East game at Keene State on Saturday, Feb. 17 (3 p.m.).