Trinity, seeded No. 2 in the tournament field, improves to 18-5 and will play No. 3-seeded Tufts University, which downed Williams, 101-89, in its quarterfinal game today, in the league semifinals on Sat., Feb. 25 at top-seeded Amherst College. Colby closes the season with an 11-14 mark with its first loss in six games.
After a 31-31 first half, Trinity led by as many as 13 points a couple of times in the second stanza. The Bantams went ahead, 78-65, with 2:38 remaining on a layup by freshman forward Aaron Westbrooks (Dublin, Ireland), but the Mules rallied ferociously to score 16 out of the next 20 points and pull within one at 82-81 with less than 10 seconds on the clock. After back-to-back Colby three-pointers by sophomore guard Mark Gaudet (Bingham, Maine) and junior guard Nick Farrell (Aspen, Colo.), the Mules put Rhoten on the foul line with seven seconds left to play and the senior co-captain sank both free throws to make the score, 84-81. Colby freshman guard Mackenzie Simpson (Casco, Maine) got off a clean shot from the top of the key as time expired but the ball rimmed out and into Westbrooks’ hands.
Rhoten and junior guard Patrick Martin (Springfield, Mass.) each had 12 second half points for Trinity and Clarke tallied 10 of his points after the break. Rhoten added a team-high 12 points and two blocks, while Martin dished out six assists, and Clarke had four boards and three assists. Westbrooks and fellow freshman forward Paul Rowe (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 12 points each, while junior forward Michael Hoar (Pembroke, Mass.) pulled down nine boards for the Bantams.
Junior center Drew Cohen (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) and senior tri-captain forward Andrew Jenkins (Gorham, Maine) carried Colby in the first half, scoring 23 of the team’s 31 points. Cohen finished with game-highs of 29 points, 16 boards, and five blocked shots, while Jenkins made six out of seven shots from three-point range to finish with 24 points. Gaudet scored 15 of his 19 points, including three treys in five tries, in the second half and Farrell dished out a game-high nine assists for the White Mules.
Colby (11-14) 31-50--81
Trinity, Conn. (18-5) 31-53--84