SCARE AGAINST COLBY AT HOME
Sophomore forward Tyler Rhoten (Ridgewood, N.J.) scored a game-high 32 points, including five in overtime, and added a team-high nine rebounds to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 71-69 win over the visiting Colby College White Mules in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men’s basketball action this afternoon at Oosting Gymnasium. Trinity, ranked No. 11 in the nation, improves to 14-0 overall and 2-0 in the NESCAC, while the White Mules drop to 4-12 overall and 0-2 in the league with their sixth straight loss.
Trailing, 61-58, in the final minute, Trinity junior tri-captain guard John Halas (White Plains, N.Y.) nailed a three-pointer from the left corner, his only basket of the game, tie the score at 61-61 and force the extra period. In overtime, Colby went ahead, 69-67, on a long three-pointer by junior guard Patrick McGowan (North Attleboro, Mass.) with 1:20 on the clock. Rhoten made a pair of free throws to tie the score at 69-69 with 1:05 left, and after a Colby miss, Bantam junior center Craig Coupe (Niskayuna, N.Y.) sank the front end of a one-and-one to put the Bantams ahead, 70-69, in the final minute.
Colby turned the ball over on its ensuing possession, and Halas made one of two free throws to increase the lead to a basket with 2.3 seconds on the clock. Colby inbounded the ball to halfcourt and quickly passed to a streaking senior guard Matt Forlizzi (Danvers, Mass.). Forlizzi’s heave from just inside half court hit the back of the rim and bounced away.
Trinity went ahead early, 7-0, in the first two minutes, but Colby rallied to tie the score at 13-13 midway through the half, and pulled ahead, 19-13, on a short jumper by sophomore forward Andrew Jenkins (Gorham, Maine) with eight minutes left in the half. Trinity pulled to within a point just before intermission on a jumper by senior tri-captain guard Shaun Smyth (Manchester, Conn.). Rhoten kept Trinity in the game in the first half with 17 points, as Colby held the Bantams to just nine field goals in 27 attempts and zero three-pointers. Colby shot 51.9 percent from the field in the first half (14-27) and outrebounded Trinity, 20-13.
Smyth joined Rhoten in double figures in scoring for Trinity with 18 points and added two blocks, while Coupe totaled eight points and eight rebounds. McGowan paced the White Mules with 19 points and dished out eight assists, while Jenkins and sophomore forward Nate Dick (North Attleboro, Mass.) each notched 12 points. Colby freshman center Drew Cohen (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds and blocked a pair of shots.
Colby (4-12) 31-30-8--69
Trinity, Conn. (14-0) 30-31-10--71