HARTFORD, Conn. -- Following a 101-39 opening night win against Lehman College and an NCAA championship last season, Trinity College used a late first half run to take control against Eastern Connecticut State University and record a 99-69 non-conference men's basketball victory at Ray Oosting Gymnasium.
The Warriors (3-1) kept pace against the Bantams (2-0) early on, but a 12-0 run (which turned into a 19-2 run) made it an 18-point differential at the break.
Senior guard Dominick Dao (Terryville) had an efficient first half for the Warriors, combining with junior forward Drew Soltis (Bridgeport) to score the first 11 points for Eastern. A layup from senior forward Julian Sanchez (Willimantic) gave the Warriors a 13-11 lead, one that would end up being their last of the game. A balanced effort from the Bantams helped them combat the Warrior buckets, ending the game with 11 different scorers. Henry Vetter led the charge with 24 points off 9-13 shooting from the field.
Trinity had the luxury of subbing in five at once at points during the game, with their starters sparking their late first half dominance. A Drew Lazarre turnover with just three seconds left in the half was one of only four given up by the Bantams all game. Eastern struggled with the Trinity defense, who forced 22 from the Warriors.
In the second half, Dao helped the Warriors stay in touch with the first 5 points for Eastern, just as he did in the first. There were flashes of positivity from games earlier in the season, with senior point guard Michael Carothers (Queens, NY) performing strong in the assists column and first-year junior guard Ray Carter (Springfield, MA) knocking down a couple threes. Despite the scoring for the Warriors, they struggled to contain the defending champions on the other side of the court.
Dao (16), Sanchez (15) and Soltis (14) combined for 45 of Eastern's point total, shooting a combined 18-for-33 (54.5 percent) from the floor. Senior forward Jalen Hamblin (West Hartford) led Eastern with ten rebounds, Soltis grabbing seven to power the Warriors to a +2 advantage on the boards. Carothers handed out six assists.
Points in the paint were a strong suit for the Bantams, doubling Eastern's total of 14 in the second half. Trinity scored 56 of its 99 point in the paint, outscoring the Warriors 28-5 on points off turnovers. Sanchez had a solid game off the bench, shooting 6-11 for 15 points, adding 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.
The Warriors face Connecticut College Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a non-conference game at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. The Camels are 2-0 after their win against SUNY New Paltz in their home-opener. Conn College will have a 1 p.m. meeting Saturday with Brandeis University, before traveling to. Eastern is 23-11 all-time against the Camels, winning the contest in New London last year, 61-60.