HARTFORD, Conn. – The fifth-ranked Trinity College Men's Basketball team defeated visiting Bates College, 88-77, in a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) clash at Ray Oosting Gymnasium Friday night. The Bantams improve to 19-2 overall and 6-2 in conference, while the Bobcats slide to 16-5 and 4-3 in the NESCAC.
 
What Happened:

• Play was close throughout the first half as Drew Lazarre and Brady Coyne exchanged three-pointers to set the score at 8-8 with 17:23 remaining. A triple from Henry Vetter gave Trinity a 16-10 edge, but the Bobcats answered with an 11-2 run, featuring eight points from Jamari Robinson, to grab a 21-18 lead midway through the period.
• The Bantams responded with an 11-3 run over the next three minutes, paced by four points from Jarrel Okorougo, to rebuild a 29-24 lead with 6:52 on the clock. Three-pointers from Babacar Pouye and Sean O'Leary closed the gap to 31-30, but Trinity used buckets from Jared Berry and Okorougo to take a 39-35 lead into halftime.
• The Bantams offense came out hot in the second half, as Vetter netted nine straight points to power Trinity to a 53-41 advantage with 15:44 to play. Bates used a pair of threes from Robinson and Peter Psyhogeos to trim the deficit to 62-55, but four-point efforts from Okorougo and Vetter helped Trinity to a 76-60 lead with 5:25 on the clock.
• Trailing 80-65 with 2:22 remaining, the Bobcats mounted a final comeback attempt as Robinson registered seven points to make it an 82-75 game with less than a minute to play. The Bantams closed the game out at the free throw line, going 6-for-6 at the charity stripe to seal the 88-77 win.

 
Inside the Numbers:

• The Bantams shot 51.4% (28-of-54) from the floor, including 21.1% (4-of-19) from three-point range, and 75.7% (28-of-37) from the foul line.
• The Bobcats connected on 46.3% (25-of-54) from the field, including 51.7% (15-of-29) from three-point, and 66.7% (12-of-18) from the free throw stripe.
• Rebounds: Bates 33, Trinity 29
• Steals: Trinity 20, Bates 7
• Turnovers: Bates 26, Trinity 14
• Points off Turnovers: Trinity 22, Bates 10
• Points in the Paint: Trinity 40, Bates 12
• Bench Points: Bates 35, Trinity 29
• The Bantams had four scorers in double figures, led by a team-high 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals from Vetter.
• Okorougo registered his second double-double of the season with 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, along with a game-high six steals and a block.
• Berry added 13 points and four rebounds off the bench, while Lazarre tallied 10 points, seven rebounds, and five steals.
• Robinson poured in a game-high 27 points with six rebounds for Bates, while Pouye and Coyne added 14 points apiece.

 
Up Next:

• The Bantams when they travel to Anna Maria College (5-14) for a non-conference game on Monday, February 9 at 7:00 p.m.
• All-time, Trinity holds a 5-1 record against the AMCATS, dating back to their first meeting during the 2015-16 season.
• The Bantams are riding a four-game winning streak against Anna Maria, including a 93-51 victory last season in Hartford.