College Hoops Star From West Hartford Has MVP Weekend

ECSU

WEST HARTFORD/WILLIMANTIC, CT – A former Conard High School basketball standout enjoyed a standout New Year's weekend in college, winning the MVP award in an in-season tournament.

Eastern Connecticut State University sophomore Jalen Hamblin, a 6-foot-7-inch forward from West Hartford, took home the honor as his team won the ECSU Holiday Invitational tournament, defeating Wesleyan University of Middletown, 87-79.

Hamblin is a 2022 Conard High School graduate and now plays NCAA Division III hoops at the Willimantic university.

In winning the tournament Saturday, the ECSU's men’s basketball team built a 17-point lead seven minutes into the second half and withstood a Wesleyan comeback bid.

The Warriors sealed the game by sinking all 10 of its free throws over the final 51 seconds at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

Wesleyan (8-3) had rung up 109 points while shooting 58 percent from the floor in a 26-point win over Saint Joseph’s College (Maine) in Friday’s first round.

But they were limited to just 31 percent shooting in the first half Saturday.

The Cardinals never led by more than two points and Eastern (3-9) took the lead for good in the early going on a three-pointer by 6-Hamblin just six minutes into play.

Leading by seven at the break, the Warriors turned to their bench to move out to a 17-point lead seven minutes into the second half.

In a 23-12 run that pushed the advantage to 56-39, Eastern was 10-of-12 from the floor – connecting on six consecutive shots.

Implementing a pressing defense, Wesleyan pulled to within six points with two minutes left, but ECSU went 6-6 from the line in the final 51 seconds, with Hamblin converting both of his tries.

Hamblin led six Eastern double-digit scorers with 22 points and helped Eastern to a +4 advantage on the boards with a team-high six.

Hamblin was 7-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the stripe.

In two tournament games, Hamblin had 34 points and 17 rebounds on 11-of-17 field goal shooting and 10-of-13 shooting from the foul line.

For his efforts, Hamblin was named the Little East Conference player of the week last week.

For more information on Jalen Hamblin at ECSU, click on this link.

For more details on ECSU's victory in the tournament, click on this link.