BOSTON, Mass. – For the first time in over 30 years the Beacons will enter the Little East Conference Tournament with a new face at the helm, as first year head coach Jason Harris will lead his Beacons to Willimantic, Connecticut where they will face the 2016 regular season champs Eastern Connecticut State University tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
THE BASICS
#8 UMass Boston at #1 Eastern Connecticut State University
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
7:30 p.m.
Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium
Live Stats - http://www.beaconsathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/2015-16/boxscores/20160223_hq0v.xml
Video - http://portal.stretchinternet.com/ecsuwarriors/portal.htm?eventId=272346&streamType=video
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
January 16 at ECSU – UMass Boston 57, Eastern Conn. State 75
February 20 at UMB – UMass Boston 64, Eastern Conn. State 69
THE MATCH-UP
For the second time in the last three seasons the Beacons will make the trip to Connecticut to take on the top-seeded Warriors. In 2014, the Beacons nearly pulled out the upset, but ultimately fell to ECSU by the final of 61-55.
This season, the Beacons were handed a tough loss in Geissler Gymnasium in the first meeting between the two squads. Offensively, UMass struggled all game, as no one recorded double-figures in either points or rebounds.
In the regular season finale, the Beacons came just short of ending their 14-game losing streak to Eastern Connecticut. Quadry Allen (White Castle, La.) and Michael Campbell (Boston, Mass.) each dropped in 19 points, but the Warriors were able to sneak past the Beacons to take the slim five point victory.
SCOUTING THE BEACONS
If UMass Boston is to be successful in tomorrow's first round game, they will need to take care of the ball on every possession. Down the stretch the Beacons failed to convert on key opportunities, but have shown the ability to get it done when they find a consistent rhythm.
Coach Harris will have to look to his senior leaders in Allen and Campbell if the Beacons are to make it to Friday's semi-final game. Campbell enter this year's tournament averaging 13.0 points per game, while Allen sits second with a career-high 12.3 points per game.
Sophomore Maurice Magras (Medford, Mass.) who started the year red-hot has limped by the last couple of weeks. He will head to Willimantic averaging 11.7 points per game, but has recorded just one 10+ point game in the last four games for UMass.
On the glass, Sam Freeman (Boston, Mass.) will once again face a tough task as he faces-off with one of the top big-men in the LEC. Along with junior Dan Powers (Westwood, Mass.) the duo will have own the paint and the glass if the Beacons want to build any type of lead against a team, that has dominated the LEC over the last five seasons. Powers has produced some huge games down the stretch for UMass, and goes into his first tournament game with UMB averaging a respectable 9.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
DOWN THE ROAD
If the Beacons pullout the upset they will travel to the highest remaining seed on Friday for the semi-final round of this year's tournament. The winner of the conference tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which begins next week.
