Amherst pulled ahead for good in a tightly contested game with an 8-0 run atv the four-minute mark that included back-to-back three-pointers by Schiel and junior guard Keith Zalaski (Simsbury, Conn.) and a lay-up by senior guard Russell Lee (Lorton, Va.) that gave the Jeffs an 80-74 lead. Trinity fought back and pulled to within three points in the final minute on a layup by sophomore guard Patrick Hasiuk (Enfield, Conn.) with 18 seconds on the clock. Trinity’s full court press forced an Amherst turnover, but misfired on consecutive difficult trey attempts by senior co-captain guard John Halas (White Plains, N.Y.) and sophomore guard Kino Clarke (Brooklyn, N.Y.) as the clock ran out.
Trinity led at the half, 45-44, forcing 10 turnovers to offset 62.5 percent shooting from the field and a 17-9 rebounding advantage for the Lord Jeffs. Bantam junior forward Tyler Rhoten (Ridgewood, N.J.) scored 16 of his team-high 24 points in the first stanza to match Schiel’s 13 first half points. Amherst stayed hot in the second half, finishing with a 59.6 field goal shooting percentage for the game and also made 23 out of 27 of its free throw tries.
Rhoten made 10 out of 17 shots from the field and all four of his foul shots, while adding five assists, and Halas totaled 17 points, four assists, and four steals. Hasiuk had 10 points, a team-high, seven boards, and six dishes for the Bantams. Lee had 16 points and three assists for Amherst, while sophomore guard John Bedford (Ridgewood, N.J.) added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds, and freshman guard Andrew Olson (San Diego, Calif.) tallied 13 points, five boards, and five assists.
Amherst (10-1) 44-41--85
Trinity, Conn. (10-4) 45-37--82