Jarrel Okorougo led Trinity (Conn.) in scoring in the Bantams' last appearance in the semifinals, with 11 points. 2024 photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com

By Joe Sager
D3sports.com

Reaching a Final Four is a challenge for any team.

Getting back for second year in a row may be even tougher. Trinity (Conn.) accomplished it, though, and is looking for bigger and better things this time around.

“It was a real grind,” Trinity junior Henry Vetter said. “It’s a long preseason and a long season. The team did a good job staying true to our mission. Last year gave us an idea of how good we can be if we play the right way and as a team.”

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The Bantams (28-3) take on NESCAC archrival Wesleyan (30-1) on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for the chance to play for an NCAA Division III national championship.

“It’s definitely awesome. It’s another great opportunity for us,” Trinity senior Will Dorion said. “After last year’s result, we’re far hungrier. We definitely want to get to that final game. But, the big focus is on our rival and trying to get to Saturday the best we can.”

Last year, Trinity made it to the Final Four for the first time since the 1994-95 campaign. However, Trine ousted the Bantams, 66-54, en route to winning the national championship. Building off that experience, Trinity feels more at ease this time around.

“I do think that’s a huge difference for us this year, having that experience,” Dorion said. “We have eight of our 10 guys back who experienced playing in that gym a year ago. We definitely have more confidence with that experience.”

The Bantams know what it’s like to play in the spacious arena and also how to handle all the pregame hoopla.

“Even (Thursday) was pretty much the same routine as last year. We all knew what to expect,” Vetter said. “I think that’ll be to our advantage. It’s just human nature to kind of get caught up in things when you get here and it’s something new. For us, we have a lot of guys who know what to expect and can really focus on doing what we need to do to play 40 solid minutes (Friday).”

With so many players back from last year’s run, Trinity knew it had a chance to get back to Fort Wayne. At the same time, the Bantams understood there were no guarantees.

“Once we got back on campus after dealing with it in the spring, we were motivated,” Dorion said. “I think all of us wanted to get back here and we knew we were capable of it even though we lost three great players. It was a process. We went through a couple tough loses in the regular season, but I think those losses helped us a lot. We learned from them and we’re happy to be back.”

One of those setbacks came to Wesleyan, 72-63, at home on Jan. 24. However, it was the team’s last defeat as it gained revenge with a 75-67 triumph over the Cardinals in the NESCAC title game.

“We had a few tough losses, but learned a lot of from them. You want to be playing your best basketball in March and I think we’ve done that so far,” Vetter said. “I really think we’re playing well together. That’s what it’s been about all year. We’re a deep team and that’s helped us in these back to backs. We have 15-16 guys who bring it in different ways that contribute to our success.”

Meeting a conference foe in the Final Four is unique, though the other side of the bracket is set up that way, too, as UAA rivals NYU and WashU do battle Thursday at 8 p.m.

“I think that speaks to the success of the NESCAC. The other side has two UAA teams, so it’s a fun concept for the Final Four teams coming from two of the more prominent conferences,” Dorion said. “Wesleyan got here and you have to give them credit. They are a good team. It’s nice knowing about them already. We are preparing for what they have in store for us. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing knowing the opponent so well and what they can do and can’t do.”

“When you get in the tournament, you may see a lot of teams that play different styles. It’s just different playing when you’re going against teams you’re not used to,” Vetter added. “We know what they bring and they know what we bring. We’ll see what we can do (Friday).”

There may not be many surprises when the two teams meet and Trinity is OK with that.

“We know them well and they know us well. I don’t know if it’s an advantage or if it’s a disadvantage. It’d be great if they weren’t such a good team,” Trinity coach James Cosgrove said. “But, in the Final Four, everybody is going to be very good. We know we have to play well to beat them. We know what they want to do and what we need to do to win. If we handle our part, I think we have a good shot of coming out successfully.”

The Bantams, who own the nation’s stingiest defense (56.8 points per game), realize they face a challenge with Wesleyan’s defense, which is ranked sixth at 60.1 points per game. Nevertheless, they look to keep their tournament momentum going. They’ve beaten their four tournament foes by an average margin of 83.5-60.8.

“We’ve been playing well. We have good players and they’ve been playing well,” Cosgrove said. “We keep getting better and we’re excited about this group and what we can do.”