WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Western Connecticut State University men's basketball team whittled a 20-point first-half deficit in half by the break and erased a six-point deficit late in regulation to force overtime in a 98-91 Little East Conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Wednesday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

WestConn (14-1, 6-1 LEC)  trailed by 20 with four minutes left in the first half but outscored Eastern (6-11, 3-5 LEC) 13-3 over those final minutes to cut it to ten at the break. In a game which featured five ties and seven lead changes, WestConn then outscored the Warriors 8-1 over the final three minutes of regulation, getting an offensive rebound and dunk by Kendall Robinson to take a two-point lead in the final minute before the Warriors sank two free throws (but missed two, as well) in the final 49.1 seconds, with senior Rakesh Tibby (East Hartford) sending the game into overtime when he converted the second of two free throw after a Westconn timeout with 13.3 seconds left.

Now 2-1 in overtime this year, WestConn owned the extra session, scoring the first six points and outscoring Eastern, 15-8, over those final five minutes. Jaheim Youngose final five minutes. Jaheim Young scored two inside baskets off an Eastern turnover for the first four baskets and Jaysean Morgan converted inside off another Eastern miscue to make it 89-83 midway through the extra session.

With 17 steals, WestConn forced Eastern into a season-high 27 turnovers (19 in the second half and overtime), scoring nearly half of its points (45) off turnovers. The Wolves also outscored Eastern by 28 points in the paint, with its bench holding a +34 scoring edge over the Eastern reserves.

Returning to the lineup after missing four games with injury, Eastern guard Jalen Williams (Simsbury) topped all scorers with a career-high 37 points (seven shy of the program's game record) in 42 minutes and added a game-high 12 rebounds. Williams was 11-of-19 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the foul line, with his seven three-pointers three shy of the game record.

Williams led Eastern with 21 points and seven rebounds in the second half but it wasn't enough to hold off the Wolves, who rallied over the final 15 minutes of regulation.

Five WestConn players totalled double figures. The team's season scoring leader at 19.5 points per game, Robinson had 21 points, Morgan adding 20 in 20 minutes off the bench, Ryan Alkins 18 in 26 minutes off the bench, and Jaheim Young and Jalen Jackson 12 each.

Behind Williams – who played the final ten minutes with four personal fouls -- first-year guard Dominick Dao (Terryville) had 22 points in 43 minutes before fouling out with 1:41 left in overtime and Eastern behind by six. Tibby had 17 points and nine rebounds and senior guard Max Lee (Norwich) seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 32 minutes off the bench.

WestConn's only loss this season came in overtime at the hands of LEC rival Keene State College 11 days ago at Keene, NH. The Wolves at a game-and-a-half behind unbeaten (8-0) LEC leader Keene. Eastern shares the sixth and final spot in the race for an LEC tournament berth.

Eastern hosts the University of Massachusetts Boston Saturday at 3 p.m. in a Little East Conference game.