BOSTON, Mass. – Led by a game-high 21 points from Charles Mitchell (Boston, Mass.) men's basketball secured a crucial Little East Conference win as they knocked-off intra-state rival UMass Dartmouth by the final of 76-66 Wednesday evening at Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium.

THE BASICS

UMass Boston 76, UMass Dartmouth 66

UMass Boston (15-9, 9-6 Little East Conference)
UMass Dartmouth (14-10, 9-6 Little East Conference)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Prior to the start of the game former Beacon and 1,000 point scorer Carl Joseph presented Charles Mitchell with his 1,000 point ball

The two rivals exchanged baskets for the first nine minutes of contest.  However around the midway point of the opening half, UMass Boston began to fire on all cylinders, as they quickly pulled away from the Corsairs thanks to a 15-1 run. 

Before the Corsairs even knew what happened the Beacons held a sizeable 28-13 lead with just over seven to play before the half.  Despite the large deficit, UMass Dartmouth did fight their way back to make it a two-possession game (33-28) before the break.

However, that late push by UMass Dartmouth did not carry over into the second half, with the Beacons quickly pushing their lead back to double-digits.  It was in the second half that junior guard Michael Boyd (Malden, Mass.) cemented his place in program history as he became the 15^th player to record his 1,000^th career point.  The Malden native needed just one field heading into the second half after scoring seven points in the first 20 minutes.

Boyd, who set the single game assists record on Monday at Western Connecticut State with 18, finished with 16 points and had eight assists, and five rebounds.

Mitchell's night saw the junior finish 6-for-12 form the field, which included five 3-pointers.  He also grabbed nine boards, and had two steals and two assists.  Senior Mark Munroe (Quincy, Mass.) finished with 10 points and six boards, while fellow senior Dasan Cinelli (Boston, Mass.) dropped in 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting (7-for-9 at the line).  Cinelli also had seven rebounds and two blocks. 

Making his return in a big way to the Beacons line-up was Lorquet who registered four monstrous blocks.  The Sharon native posted an impressive double-double, his first since January 11, as he dropped in 12 points to go along with 10 rebounds.

 BY THE NUMBERS

• With the win the Beacons now sit tied for second in the conference standings alongside the Corsairs
• Cinelli now sits seventh in program history for career games played, having played in his 102^nd on Wednesday
• On the night the Beacons shot 45.6% (26-57) from the field, while the Corsairs shot 32.9% (27-82)
• UMass Boston held a 46-42 advantage on the glass
• Both teams finished with 36 points in the paint, while the Corsairs bench led 20-12 in points scored
• All-time the Beacons are now 19-61 against the Corsairs and have won five of their last seven meetings

WHO'S NEXT

The Beacons will close out the regular season this Saturday at 3 p.m. at Plymouth State University.