MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The fifth-ranked remained unbeaaten after battling host Wesleyan University to 79-77 overtime victory in a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) contest at Silloway Gymnasium Saturday afternoon. The Bantams improve to 18-0 on the season, and 4-0 in the NESCAC, while the Cardinals drop to 2-2 in conference and 10-7 overall.
The sides traded the lead back and forth over the opening five minutes of play as a three-pointer from Ben Lyttle handed the Cardinals an 14-9 lead. A jumper from first-year Jared Berry trimmed the deficit to 16-14, but Wesleyan rattled off a 12-4 over the next six minutes to hold a 28-18 lead with less than five minutes to play in the first half. The Cardinals expanded their lead to 34-23 until the Bantams closed the half on a 6-2 run to pull to 36-29 at the half. For just the second time this season, Trinity found themselves in a deficit at the half.
Junior Will Dorion buried five quick points to open the second half, and jumpers from graduate Dana Smith and senior Ben Callahan-Gold made it a one possession game, 40-38, with 16:41 to play. A three-point from Wesleyan's Fritz Hauser helped rebuild a 46-38 lead, but Trinity responded with a 7-0 run as a bucket from junior Sean Marcarchuk closed the gap to 46-45 with 13:16 on the clock. A three-point from Marcarchuk at the 11:36 mark gave the Bantams their first lead since the first half, 49-48. The sides exchanged the lead six times over the next four minutes until a pair of three from Callahan-Gold put Trinity up 61-56 with 6:38 to play. The Cardinals fought back with a 10-5 run to even the score at 66-66 with less than three minutes to play. A three-pointer from sophomore Henry Vetter handed the Bantams a 70-66 lead with 1:41 remaining, but the Bantams missed four shots in the final minutes as Wesleyan's Nicky Johnson hit a pair of free throws and Sam Polhman added a game-tying layup with 20 seconds to play, forcing overtime, tied at 70-70.
Trinity led the entire overtime period as Vetter scored five of the Bantams' seven points in the extra frame. Vetter completed a three-point play at the 3:13 mark to put Trinity ahead, 73-70. Johnson made two free throws from Wesleyan to make it a one-point game until Trinity sophomore Jarrel Okorougo knocked down a jumper to reclaim a 75-72 advantage. Johnson and Vetter exchanged jumpers and then Wesleyan's Josh Cameron chipped in a bucket to set the score at 77-76 in the final minute. The Cardinals defense blocked a late shot from the Bantams, but Johnson missed the go-ahead jumper in the paint and Callahan-Gold added a pair of late free throws to secure the 79-77 win.
Callahan-Gold led all scorers with a game-high 25 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Vetter filled the stat sheet with 16 points, three assists, two rebounds, two steals and a block, while Okorougo landed one rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Smith grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds with a game-high six assists and five points in the win.
Wesleyan had six players reach double digits in points, paced by 14 points from Johnson. Jackson Cormier netted 13 points with nine rebounds, while Pohlman added 12 points. Lyttle notched 11 points, and Fritz Hauser and Shane Regan recorded 10 points a piece.
The Cardinals edged the Bantams on the glass, 44-43, during the game, and Wesleyan was the first team to outrebound Trinity in a game this season. The Bantams shot 26-of-75 (34.7%) from the floor, including 10-of-33 (30.3%) from three-point, and 17-of-22 (77.3%) from the foul line. Wesleyan connected on 25-of-62 (40.3%) from the field, 5-of-20 (25%) from three-point and 22-of-25 (88%) from the free throw stripe.
The Bantams will return to action when they host Hamilton in a NESCAC clash at Oosting Gymnasium Friday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
TRINITY ATHLETICS
