BOSTON, Mass. (January 6, 2026) – The UMass Boston men's basketball team (7-6, 3-1 LEC) was defeated 98-70 by Western Connecticut State University (9-4, 2-2 LEC) on Tuesday afternoon in a Little East Conference matchup at Clark Athletic Center.

Western Connecticut opened the game with an early run and carried a 50-30 advantage into the halftime break. The Wolves shot 59.4 percent from the floor in the opening half and used balanced scoring to build separation.

Raphel Laurent (Peabody, Mass.) got the Beacons on the board with a three-pointer to open the scoring. Laurent finished with a team-high 20 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Cameron Perkins (Danbury, Conn.) added 13 points, while Davon Sanders (Mansfield, Mass.) contributed nine points.

UMass Boston showed improved efficiency in the second half, shooting 40.0 percent from the field and outscoring Western Connecticut 40-48 over the final 20 minutes. Skyler Venezia (North Haledon, N.J.) opened the second-half scoring with a three-pointer, and the Beacons received solid production from their bench, which accounted for 28 points.

Hector Perez (Easton, Mass.) and Seun Sorinmade (Easton, Mass.) each knocked down two three-pointers, while D'Anthony Amado (Brockton, Mass.) led the team with three assists off the bench.

The Beacons return to conference play on Thursday when they travel to North Dartmouth, Mass. to face UMass Dartmouth. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. following the women's game.

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