WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – A 12-4 run to start in the opening minutes of the second half, gave the conference leading Warriors of Eastern Connecticut State University all the momentum they would need as they went on to hand men's basketball a 78-61 Little East Conference loss Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geisler Gymnasium.

The offensive spark blew open a close contest, as the Beacons trailed the Warriors by eight going into the halftime break.  With Saturday's loss, UMass fell to 10-11 overall, 2-8 in the conference.  Eastern Connecticut improved to 17-4 overall, while in the Little East they tightened their hold on first place as they improved to 9-1.

A total of six players finished in double-figures in the win for the Warriors, with Hugh Lindo posting a double-double of 15 points and 20 rebounds.  The forward shot 6-for-7 from the field and grabbed 15 of his 20 rebounds on the defensive glass. He also led the contest with three blocked shots.

For the Beacons, Luc Ulysse (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Karl Agenor (Dorchester, Mass.) each finished with a team-best 14 points.  Agenor came-off the bench and shot 6-for-7 from the floor.  He also grabbed a team-best six rebounds in the conference loss.  Ulysse was 5-for-10 from the field, and 2-for-3 from 3-point range. 

Junior guard Omar Benabicha (Saugus, Mass.) dropped in 13 points for UMass, as he shot 5-for-15, 2-for-3 from behind the arc. 

The first half proved to be a back-and-forth battle for the two squads, with UMass jumping out to a 14-9 lead six and a half minutes into the contest.  Eastern Connecticut would eventually tie it at 15-15, but the Beacons would respond with an 8-4 run to make it 23-19 with 5:53 left in the first half. 

Unfortunately, the Warriors used a 13-3 run to close out the half.  They would carry that momentum into the second half, as they pushed their lead to double-figures and never looked back.

On the day, UMass shot 39.7% (23-58) from the field, while ECSU shot 47.5% (28-59).  The Warriors also held a 33-30 advantage on the glass.  The Beacons did win the defensive battled forcing 21 ECSU turnovers. 

The Warriors return to action on Tuesday when they host UMass Dartmouth at 7:30 p.m.