SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The top-ranked Trinity College Men's Basketball team led wire-to-wire in a 97-56 victory over host Union College in the Championship Game of the Sig Makofski Tournament at the Viniar Sports Center Sunday afternoon. The Bantams rise to 5-0 on the season, while the Garnet Chargers dip to 4-2 overall.
 
What Happened:

• The Bantams raced to a 15-5 lead in the opening five minutes of the first half as Henry Vetter and Drew Lazarre netted four points apiece.
• Trinity continued to roll as Paul Ippolito poured in ten straight points to help expand the Bantams lead to 30-13 with 9:17 on the clock.
• The Trinity defense limited Union to eight points over the final nine minutes of the first half as Vetter, Lazarre, David Ayles and Samuel Norris buried three-pointers to escort the Bantams advantage to 54-21 at the break.
• Ayles propelled Trinity early in the second half, registering ten points to escort the Bantams lead to 68-25 at the 13:56 mark.
• Jared Berry converted a three-point play to hand Trinity their largest lead, 80-36, as the sides exchanged buckets down the stretch with the Bantams locking up the 97-56 win.

 
Inside the Numbers:

• The Bantams converted a season-high 53.4% (39-of-73) from the field, including a season-high 51.7% (15-of-29) from three-point range, and 80% (4-of-5) from the foul line.
• The Garnet Chargers shot 38.8% (19-of-49) from the floor, 12.5% (2-of-16) from three-point, and 80% (16-of-20) from the free throw stripe.
• Rebounds: Trinity 37, Union 27
• Points in the Paint: Trinity 48, Union 30
• Bench Points: Trinity 38, Union 21
• The Bantams logged five scorers in double figures, led by Ayles with a career-high 18 points, connecting on a career-high 7-of-8 from the floor and 4-of-4 from beyond the arc, with a career-high six steals, two assists and a rebound.
• With six steals, Ayles matches the program-high for steals in a game, a feat accomplished eight times in program history.
• Lazarre tallied 16 points, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal, while Ippolito scored a career-high 14 points with two assists and rebound.
• Berry chipped in 11 points, three rebounds and two assists, and Vetter recorded 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
• Jarrel Okorougo grabbed a game-high nine rebounds with nine points and four assists in the win.
• Jack Plesser paced the Garnet Chargers with a team-high 17 points and a team-high six rebounds.
• Scott Schmitt added ten points, five rebounds and a game-high four blocks, while Tanner Tedesco posted seven points, four assists and three rebounds.

 
Up Next:

• The Bantams will be back on the court when they travel to West Hartford to take on the University of Sain Joseph on Wednesday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m.
• All-time, Trinity owns a 2-2 record against the Blue Jays, dating back to their first meeting in 2019-20.
• The Bantams have taken the last two matchups with USJ, including an 86-60 victory at Ray Oosting Gymnasium last season.