MBB Hangs Tough, Falls Short at Trinity – Connecticut College

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Connecticut College men’s basketball team dropped a 60-53 decision to Trinity College on Friday night in a NESCAC showdown at Oosting Gymnasium.

Cam Schainfeld (Newton, Mass.) led three Camels in double digits with a game-high 20 points. Garrett Clar (Victor, N.Y.) and Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) added 14 and 13 points, respectively, in the setback.

Trinity (17-3 overall, 4-2 NESCAC) limited the Camels to 33-percent shooting in the contest. Jarrel Okorougo paced the Bantams with 16 points. 

Three-pointers by Espinosa and Clar put the Camels on top 6-2 in the opening minutes, but Trinity quickly pulled even behind four straight points from Okorougo. Clar responded with another three, and Andrew Hartel (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) converted a lay-up to give Conn its largest lead at 11-6 with 14:58 left in the half.

The Bantams pushed into the lead behind a 15-4 spurt and stayed in front for the remainder of the half. Conn hung close, however, as Clar and Espinosa combined for 15 points in the stanza. A three by Henry Vetter capped the first-half scoring and gave Trinity a 30-24 lead at intermission.

Schainfeld exploded for 17 points in the second half to give the Camels a chance. Back-to-back threes by Schainfeld and Clar gave Conn its first lead of the half at 43-42 with 9:12 to go. Minutes later, Schainfeld added another three to make it a 46-44 game, but Vetter answered back with a go-ahead three on the ensuing possession. 

Conn kept it close until the final minute, but Vetter drilled another three to make it a two-possession game with 36 seconds to play. Schainfeld’s final bucket of the night cut the deficit to four with 30 seconds remaining, but Vetter converted three free throws down the stretch to provide the final margin.

Schainfeld, who shot 7-for-14 from the floor, also finished with four assists and two steals. Clar shot 4-for-7 from long range and tacked on three rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Espinosa recorded four boards and four assists.  

Conn (11-9 overall, 3-3 NESCAC) will next play at No. 1 Wesleyan University on Saturday, February 1 at 3:00 p.m.