Providence, R.I.--Freshman forward Justin Campbell (New Haven, CT) notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds to go along with two clutch blocks in overtime to lead the Rhode Island College men's basketball team to a hard-fought, 72-69, victory over Little East foe Western Connecticut at The Murray Center on Wednesday night.

The Anchormen (5-19, 4-9 LEC) and Colonials (14-10, 7-6 LEC) battled back and forth early, with a jumper by Western senior guard Phil Starks (Hartford, CT) knotting the game at 7-7 with 13:13 remaining in the first half. RIC buckled down on defense and used an 8-1 run over the next 3:57, capped by a layup by freshman guard Gianni Carwin (Stamford, CT), to take a 15-8 advantage.

The Anchormen continued to build their advantage, with a three-pointer from freshman guard Jimmy Fritzson (Sharon, MA) upping the advantage to eight, 22-14, with 4:58 remaining in the half. Western trimmed the lead down to two, 24-22, with 3:20 left, with a layup by senior guard Luis Bridtter (Stamford, CT) sending the game into the half with the hosts holding a 28-24 lead.

RIC shot 27.8 percent (10-for-36) from the field in the half with the Colonials shooting 38.5 percent (10-for-26) in the stanza.

The Anchormen opened the second half on a run, with a made free throw by sophomore guard Roosevelt Shider (Meriden, CT) giving the Anchormen their biggest lead of the game, 42-28, with 14:59 remaining in the second half. Western picked up its defense, however, employing a full-court press to force turnovers and speed up the game. A pair of free throws from Stark with 12:19 left trimmed the RIC advantage down to four, 42-38. RIC upped its advantage to seven following a Campbell layup with 7:58, but timely defense down the stretch and clutch shooting from Bridtter and a pair of free throws by senior guard Ryan Belote (Meriden, CT) with 12 seconds remaining would send the game into overtime with the score knotted at 59.

The overtime period proved to be an exciting climax to an outstanding game, with RIC holding a slim, 71-69, advantage with 42 seconds remaining in the contest. With Western pressing offensively, the stage was set for Campbell's heroics. Campbell rejected Bridtter on back-to-back shots and Fritzson was able to hit 1-of-2 free throws with nine seconds left to give RIC the 72-69 victory.

RIC shot 32.9 percent (23-for-70) from the field, 26.1 percent (6-for-23) from three-point land and 60.6 percent (20-for-33) from the charity stripe. Sophomore guard Chris Green (Taunton, MA) scored a team-high 18 points with Fritzson tossing in 15 points. Carwin scored 13 points and Campbell's double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds) rounded out the RIC scorers in double figures.

Western shot 38.8 percent (26-for-67) from the field, 27.3 percent (3-for-11) from downtown and 66.7 percent (14-for-21) from the free throw line. Bridtter scored 18 points to go along with four rebounds. Starks tossed in 13 points, while dishing out three assists. Belote notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the defeat.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will continue Little East Conference play at home against Keene State on Saturday, Feb. 20 (3 p.m.).