PROVIDENCE, R.I.–  Three Bantams led a balanced scoring attack on Wednesday night as the visiting Trinity College women's basketball team handled Rhode Island College on both ends of the court for a 52-38 victory. The Bantams improve to 3-2 while Rhode Island College drops to 4-4. Trinity next hosts Connecticut College (1-5) on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Oosting Gymnasium while Rhode Island College is set to play Castleton University same day, same time.
 
The beginning of action consisted of back-and-forth baskets for the majority of the first half. After a mid-range jump shot by Madison Stevens with 14 seconds left in the second quarter, Trinity held the largest lead of seven points 24-17. In the first half,  Trinity shot 24% from the field while Rhode Island College shot just 28%. The Bantams started the second half strong as senior captain Bailey Hyland made a strong cut to the basketball making a layup assisted by Madison Stevens in the first 15 seconds. Sophomore guard Tory Varsamis (Belmont, Mass.) was on fire from the 3-point line, draining three on the night. 
 
Hyland (Broad Brook, Conn.) led all scorers with 12 points while classmate and fellow captain Liz Althoff (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Varsamis (Belmont, Mass.) each dropped in nine points. Defensively, a combination of ball pressure and strong post defense on the inside led to the Bantams forcing 20 turnovers and ultimately creating 17 points in transition. Trinity completely eliminated Rhode Island's three-ball as they shot 0-14 from behind the arc. First-year Hannah Marzo led the Blue and Gold with three steals while classmate Indianna DelRocco took three charges and stepped up in a big way for some clutch defensive stops.
 
"Our defense really drove us tonight," said Trinity head coach Emily Garner. "We struggled to find a rhythm offensively at different points but our defensive energy and intensity helped us close the game. Anytime you hold a team to 38 points on the road, it puts you in a great position to close a game. I'm really proud of our effort and resilience in battling a tough RIC team tonight, and it sets the tone for us heading into a NESCAC opponent this weekend."