HARTFORD, Conn. - Senior tri-captain Donald Jorden Jr. (Tampa, Fla.) had 21 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 71-68 win over the visiting Western New England University Golden Bears in men's basketball action this evening on Ogrodnik Court in Oosting Gymnasium.  Trinity improves to 4-1 with the win in its home opener, while thew Golden Bears drop to 2-5.  The Bantams will head across town to visit No. 9-ranked St. Joseph (Conn.) on Sunday at 1 p.m. in their next game, and Western New England is off for a week before visiting Curry on December 1 at 7:30 p.m.  The Bantams scored 15 points in the overtime despite missing half of 16 free throws in extra five minutes.

Trinity trailed, 58-56, when Alex Sikorski scored off the jump ball as overtime started, but sophomore Gilbert Otto (Burtonsville, Md.) drilled a three pointer from the left corner to put the Bantams ahead for good, 60-58, with three minutes on the clock.  Trinity led, 68-60, with under a minute remaining after two free throws by first-year guard Will Dorion (Needham, Mass.) but Western New England took advantage of Trinity's free throw shooting struggles and had a chance to tie with the ball with 10 seconds left.  Bantam junior Dana Smith (Providence, R.I.) blocked Brian Berritto's 3-point try as time expired.

The Bantams had led, 30-24, at the break, as Otoo closed the first half with a trey from the left wing.  Jorden had 11 points and Brian Geitner had 10 for the Golden Bears at intermission.  Junior C.J. Redd (Peekskill, N.Y.) scored the last six Trinity points, including a traditional three-point play to put the home team ahead, 52-51, but Sikorski fed Kenny Flynn for a bucket and made a game-tying foul shot to force the overtime.  

Redd and Otoo joined Jorden in double figures, as Redd finished with 18 points and eight boards and Otoo scored 15 points.  Smith totaled five points, eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocks, and Dorion added eight points, two steals, and a game-high nine assists.  Geitner paced Western New England with 16 points to go with five rebounds and four assists, Jake Harrison had 11 points off the bench, and Flynn recorded 10 points and a team-high nine board.  The teams combined to shoot 53.5 percent from the foul line, although Trinity shot 35 shots from the line compared to eight for the Golden Bears who had three players foul out.