Trinity Earns 69-60 Victory Over Connecticut College in Men's Basketball Quarterfinals
Courtesy Trinity Sports Information
HARTFORD, Conn. – Senior tri-captain center Russ Martin (East Longmeadow, Mass.) made eight out of 11 shots from the field and totaled a game-high 18 points and four steals to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 69-60 win over the visiting Connecticut College Camels in the quarterfinal round of the 2008 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Championship Saturday afternoon at Oosting Gymnasium. Trinity improves to 19-6 and advances to the NESCAC semifinals for the fifth straight year and for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.
Connecticut College closes the season at 17-8. The NESCAC Semifinals will be held next weekend at Amherst.
Trinity opened up an 8-1 lead over the first five minutes of the game and held a 12-5 lead at the 12-minute mark after eight quick points by senior center Steve Dunn (Garwood, N.J.). The Camels battled back to take the lead, 13-12, on a drive by freshman guard Scott Siedor (Bloomfield, Conn.) with 8:24 left before the break, but Trinity outscored Connecticut College, 8-3, the rest of the way for a 21-16 lead at the half. Trinity held the Camels to just seven field goals in 20 attempts and the teams combined to miss all 12 three-point attempts in the first half.
Trinity took control of the game from the start of the second half, increasing its advantage to as many as 19 points at 41-22 with 12:32 left to play on a layup by senior tri-captain forward Robert Taylor (Dorchester Center, Mass.). Connecticut College caught fire late in the game, knocking down five consecutive three-point shots at one point to close the gap to single digits at 56-47 with 4:27 remaining, but Trinity made seven out of nine shots from the foul line down the stretch to preserve the lead.
