DANBURY, Conn. - Junior guard
Jahlyl Morgan (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) notched a double-double with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lift the Western Connecticut State University men's basketball team over visiting UMass Dartmouth, 81-71, on Saturday afternoon at Feldman Arena. With the win, the Wolves were tabbed Little East Conference regular season champions and earned the top seed and first round bye in the upcoming championship tournament slated to begin on Tuesday. They will host a semifinal matchup on Thursday.
Junior guard
Tayejon Lynch (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) put forth yet another solid effort with 16 points, eight boards and a game-high seven assists. Classmate guard
Elijah Jean-Guillaume (New Haven, Conn.) chipped in with 15 points including a clutch three-pointer from the right wing in the waning moments to seal the victory. Sophomore center
Marcel Henry (Yonkers, N.Y.) added 13 points and seven off the glass.
Sophomore guard Danny Reyes (Lawrence, Mass.) paced the Corsairs with a game-high 18 points, while senior center Ryan Flauto (Whitinsville, Mass.) chipped in with a double-double of his own (17 points, 10 rebounds).
It was a tightly contested affair before the hosts pulled ahead 41-33 when Morgan ripped down an offensive board and quickly fed Jean-Guillaume for a layup shortly before halftime.
Lynch stretched the gap to 10 early in the second stanza when senior forward
Nick Boyce (Jamaica, N.Y.) stole the ball and threaded a nifty pass for the layup. However, UMass Dartmouth retaliated with a furious run to snag a 59-58 advantage courtesy of a quick steal and layup. But the Wolves quickly regained the lead when rookie guard
Jaeden Bull (Wilmington, Del.) sank a pair from the stripe. They would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way. After Jean-Guillaume connected on the trifecta with 57 seconds to go, Henry and Lynch were stellar from the line to wrap up the regular season finale win.
With the victory, WestConn concluded the slate at 19-6 overall and 12-4 in league play, while the Corsairs dropped to 13-12 and 7-9. The Wolves will host the winner of Tuesday's quarterfinal round on Thursday night.
