Williamstown, Mass. - Freshman guard Michelle Royals (Torrington, Conn,.) had a game-high 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists and junior forward Christine Card (Waterbury, Conn.) added 18 points and a team-high nine rebounds to lead the visiting Trinity College Bantams to a 75-70 win over the Williams College Ephs in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's basketball regular season finale for both teams this afternoon.  Trinity closes the regular season with its best record since 1999-00 at 16-7 overall and 4-3 in the NESCAC and earns the No. 5 seed in the NESCAC Championship Tournament.  The Bantams will play a NESCAC Championship Quarterfinal game at No. 4-seeded Bates on Saturday, Feb. 21.

Ahead, 73-70, with 40 seconds on the clock, Card grabbed a rebound of a Trinity miss while the Williams players stopped to argue that the shot clock had expired.  Williams had built up an eight point lead, 14-6, before the Bantams neared within four.  The Ephs led by as many as twelve points at the 2:46 mark, 32-24, but led at the half by only five.  They fouled on a three-point shot, and on the ensuing play, sending Trinity to the line to narrow the gap at half, 36-31. 

After intermission, Williams extended its lead to its largest of the night at thirteen.  The Bantams could not be put away, and crawled to within six in a one-minute span at the 16:46 mark, 46-40.  At the ten-minute mark, Trinity tied the game at 57 apiece on a pair of free throws by Royals that capped off a 10-0 Bantam run.  Williams went back ahead, 68-62, but the Bantams rallied with seven unanswered points including a jumper by junior co-captain guard Claire Arnstein (Hicksville, N.Y.) with three minutes remaining that gave Trinity the lead for good.

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