MBB Falls Short vs. No. 1 Wesleyan – Connecticut College

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Connecticut College men’s basketball team came up on the short end of a 74-54 final against No. 1 Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon in NESCAC play at Silloway Gymnasium. 

The top-ranked Cardinals remained unbeaten on the season, improving to 21-0 overall and 7-0 in league action. Sam Pohlman scored 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting to lead all scorers, and Jackson Cormier added a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Andrew Hartel (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) paced the Camels with 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Cam Schainfeld (Newton, Mass.) tacked on 13 points, three assists and a steal, and Garrett Clar (Victor, N.Y.) chipped in nine points.

The Camels hung with the Cardinals through the opening 10 minutes as Hartel supplied six points and RJ Casey (Nashville, Tenn.) added five. The tide shifted over the final 8:52 of the half as Wesleyan outscored Conn 17-7 en route to a 37-27 lead at intermission.

The Camels made up some ground in the early stages of the second half. Hartel and Schainfeld combined for Conn’s first eight points of the stanza, cutting the deficit to 41-35 after just four minutes. However, the visitors would get no closer, as Wesleyan later used a 6-0 spurt to build the margin back to double digits. 

Pohlman netted 12 of his 18 points in the second half to lead the Cardinals, who shot 55 percent from the floor and went 7-for-23 from deep. Wesleyan also owned a 35-17 advantage on the glass that included 11 offensive rebounds.

Conn (11-10 overall, 3-4 NESCAC) will next host Hamilton College on Friday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m.