DANBURY, Conn. - Junior forward Ryan Alkins (Queens, N.Y.) netted a team-high 20 points but it wasn't enough as the Western Connecticut State University men's basketball team fell to visiting cross-state archrival Eastern Connecticut, 87-80, in a Little East Conference battle on Friday afternoon. With the loss, WestConn dropped to 7-6 overall and 1-4 in league play, while the Warriors improved to 10-4 and 5-1. 

Junior guard Ahmod Privott (Middletown, Conn.) chipped in with 16 points, while classmate Kendall Robinson (East Patchogue, N.Y.) added 10 to go along with a game-high eight rebounds off the bench for the hosts.

Junior guard Jalen Williams (Simsbury, Conn.) led all scorers with 25 points to pace Eastern. Senior guard Tyreice Woods (Hartford, Conn.) poured in 18, while junior guard Meikyle Murray (Bronx, N.Y.) contributed as a reserve player.

Despite winning the battle on the glass, 47-38, WestConn could not stop the visitors from behind the three-point arc. The Warriors shot a red-hot 50 percent (17-of-34) from downtown en route to the victory. WestConn managed to hit at a solid 43 percent clip, but knocked down only nine of their long-range attempts.

The visitors led early, 18-11, before widening the gap to 30-14 off a trifecta from Woods midway through the opening half. However, the hosts rallied, slicing the deficit to 40-36 at the break courtesy of an Alkins offensive putback. 

Eastern came out strong in the second stanza as they were able to hold off the WestConn surge and stretch the advantage to 58-45. But the hosts stormed back with a 13-0 run, knotting the game at 58-58 with 10:49 remaining when senior guard Wes Nelson (Queens, N.Y) found classmate guard Matthew Turner (Trumbull, Conn.) for a three-pointer to cap the spurt.

The contest was close until the Warriors pulled away with an 8-0 run in the final minutes to seal the win.

WestConn will look to rebound when they host Keene State in yet another LEC matchup on Monday at 4 p.m.