Men’s Basketball Falls to Becker College, 60-43

LEICESTER, Mass. – Elms College junior guard Andre French (Torrington, Conn.) scored a team-high nine points but Becker College used a game-high 20 points from Terrence Favors (Boston, Mass.) and 15 points from Rajai Leggett (New Haven, Conn.) to help seal a 60-43 victory over the Blazers in Tuesday evening's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) men's basketball game.

With the loss, Elms falls to 12-9 overall, 7-5 in league play, while Becker improves to 17-4 on the season, 12-0 in conference action.

After giving up the first basket of the game, Becker exploded for 10 straight points to take an eight-point lead, sparked by three field goals from Leggett.

Becker led by as much as 14 in the first period before a 7-1 rally by Elms cut the deficit to eight after a jumper by Jamal Hulum (Reston, Va.) with 4:32 left in the half. The Hawks responded by closing out the period on a 7-0 run, going into halftime with a 35-20 lead. Leggett led all scorers in the first half with 13 points while Yahmad Rountree (Waterbury, Conn.) hauled in 10 rebounds for Becker. Bryant Corcoran (Waterbury, Conn.) had five points for the Blazers.

Both teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the second half until a 9-2 push by Elms pulled the Blazers to within nine at 41-32 after French jumper. Becker responded with a 10-3 run, capped off by a jumper from Favors before Elms pulled to within 12 on a 3-pointer by French with 5:21 remaining. That's as close as Elms would get as the Hawks outscored the Blazers 7-2 down the stretch.

Favors was a force in all areas of the game, shooting 50-percent from the floor, pulling down eight rebounds while dishing out a team-high five assists. Leggett scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half while collecting six boards and two steals. Rountree led all rebounders by pulling down 13 and chipping in eight points. 

Donovin Ford-Hayes (Windsor Locks, Conn.) scored nine points off the bench. Jerome Cohen (Boston, Mass.) added six rebounds. The Hawks also scored 23 points off turnovers to help seal the victory.

French led Elms with nine points and two steals, while Kenneth Lockett (Atlanta, Ga.) scored seven points off the bench. David McDaniel (Plainfield, N.J.) had six rebounds. Daniel Gonzalez (East Windsor, Conn.) added five points and three boards.

Elms returns to NECC action on Thursday, Feb. 9 when it hosts Daniel Webster College at 8:00 p.m.