Westfield, MA --- The WPI men's basketball team used a stifling defensive effort in defeating nationally-ranked Eastern Connecticut 60-50 in the opening game of the season for both squads at the Rick Martin Holiday Inn Express Tip Off Tournament at the Woodward Center on Friday evening. The victory marked the 14th straight season the Crimson and Gray have won their season opener.
The Engineers limited the Warriors, ranked 14th in the D3hoops.com preseason Top 25, to 29.5 percent shooting from the floor for the game.
WPI (1-0) jumped out to an early 10-3 lead and maintained an advantage throughout the half, leading 34-23 at the intermission. The Engineers held Eastern to just 29 percent (9-31) shooting from the floor in the opening stanza.
The Engineers edged away from the Warriors through the middle stages of the second half, using a 10-3 run from the 11-minute mark to the five-minute mark to extend the lead to as many as 18 and salt the game away. Eastern Connecticut installed a full court press late which trimmed the final margin down to 10 points.
Sean Doncaster (Medford, MA) led WPI with a career-high 15 points and four assists. Aaron Todd (York, ME) added his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Clyde Niba (Atlanta, GA) and Chris Rodgers (Franklin, MA) each chipped in with nine apiece.
Doncaster, Niba and Aaron Davis (Marshfield, MA) combined for 10 of the Engineers 11 assists and Doncaster drained all three of this 3-point attempts as the Crimson and Gray connected on 6-of-9 as a team from downtown. Rookie James Loring (Norton, MA) also canned all three of his field goal attempts on the night.
Trachone Preston (Enfield, CT) led Eastern Connecticut (0-1) with 17 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Tyrell Arnum (Bloomfield, MA) added 10.
WPI will play hosts Westfield State, a 71-55 winner over Western New England, in tomorrow's championship game at 3pm. Eastern Connecticut will play Western New England in the consolation final at 1pm.
Release Courtesy Westfield State Sports Information