WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Guards Courtney Simmons (Middletown, CT) and Edwin Ortiz (Hartford, CT) combined for 43 points off the bench and the Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team shot 58 percent from the floor in a 94-77 non-conference victory over Bridgewater State College Tuesday night at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
In the first meeting between the programs in 14 years, Eastern (4-4) ended a three-game home losing streak in stopping Bridgewater State's (5-2) two-game winning streak.
Eastern's bench players outscored Bridgewater's non-starters 24-2 in the first half to help the Warriors to a five-point, 41-36 halftime lead. Ortiz ignited a 53-point second half with 17 points (4-for-6 from three-point range), and Simmons tossed in ten as the Warriors connected on nearly 70 percent (69.7) of their second-half shots. The majority of Eastern's baskets came off transition and came in the paint.
In all, Eastern's non-starters outscored Bridgewater's non-starters 59-10. Ortiz, a junior, had a game-high 26 points, Simmons, a sophomore, 17, junior guard Jared Willis (New Britain, CT) 16, sophomore post player Broderick Sawyer (Norwalk, CT) 13, and freshman post player Jeremy Thompson (Berlin, CT) ten.
Willis, the point guard, had a career-high 16 points, a career-high ten assists, seven rebounds, and five steals. Backcourt partners Ortiz and Simmons matched Willis with seven rebounds each to help the Warriors to a 40-29 advantage on the boards.
Sophomore forward Nicholas Motta (Fairhaven, MA) led Bridgewater with 23 points (9 for-11 from the line), sophomore guard Judah Jackson (Everett, MA) adding 16 points and senior forward Roland Millien (Stoughton, MA) 12.
The Bears stayed within striking distance in the first half by canning 20 of 22 free throws, and finished with a 23-6 advantage from the stripe in the game. Bridgewater missed 13 of 15 three-point field goals, however, and Eastern amassed an 88-54 advantage from the floor. Led by Ortiz (6-for-9 from three-point range), Eastern sank eight three-pointers.