DANBURY, Conn. - Graduate student guard Alfonzo Stokes (Bloomfield, Conn.) netted a game-high 15 points to guide the second-seeded Western Connecticut State University men's basketball team to an 88-63 victory over third-seeded UMass Dartmouth in the Little East Conference Championship Tournament semifinal round on Thursday night at Feldman Arena.

Junior forward Cameron Gallon (York, Pa.) added 12 points for the hosts, while sophomore guard Jahlyl Morgan (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) chipped in with 11. Junior guard Jeremiah Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also reached double figures with 10, while dishing out a team-high five assists. 

John Marcille led the Corsairs with 14 points, while Isaac Percy tacked on 11. Jackson Zancan pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. 

With the win, the Wolves advanced to their second straight title game. They will meet top-seeded host Keene State on Saturday. The Owls edged the Wolves in last season's championship battle and the squads split a pair of regular season matchups this year. Keene State downed fifth-seeded Rhode Island College in the other semifinal matchup on Thursday night, 83-68. 

Once again, WestConn utilized what has been its strength all season, forcing 27 UMass Dartmouth turnovers while committing just 14. The Wolves also shot a respectable 48 percent from the floor, while holding the Corsairs to a 32 percent showing.  

The hosts began the game with a five-point spurt before the visitors responded with a run of their own to snag their short-lived lead of the contest at 10-7. WestConn roared back with a 16-2 flurry. Gallon wrapped up the run with an offensive putback, giving the winners a 23-12 lead midway thru the first half. The Wolves didn't stop there as they continued to pour it on for the remainder of game. They would head into halftime ahead 53-28 courtesy of a Morgan layup off a nifty feed from Stokes. They would cruise the rest of the way, building the advantage up to as many as 30 points on several occasions in the second stanza.

With the win, WestConn improved to 22-4 overall while UMass Dartmouth suffered its second lofty loss at Feldman Arena in five days, concluding its season at 15-12.