Hartford, Conn. - Senior Ryan Sharry (Braintree, Mass.) had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the visiting Middlebury College Panthers to a 76-47 win over the Trinity College Bantams in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men's basketball action this evening. Trinity drops to 10-13 overall and 2-7 in the NESCAC with its eighth loss in a row, while No. 2-ranked Middlebury improves to 22-1 overall and 9-0 in the league with its fourth consecutive win. Trinity needs a win in its regular-season finale tomorrow against Williams combined with a Hamilton loss at home against Bates on Sunday to qualify for its 12th straight NESCAC Championship Tournament, which begins next weekend. Middlebury plays at Amherst, alo undefeated in the league with one game to play, tomorrow, and the winner will earn the top seed in the league tourney.

Middlebury opened up a 37-21 lead with just under five minutes left in the first half, before Trinity scored eight straight, including four by junior Mick DiStasio (Yarmouth, Maine ) to close to 37-29 on a layup by freshman forward Alex Conaway (New Haven, Conn.). Middlebury sophomore Joey Kizel (Short Hills, N.J.) hit a jumper in the final minute for 39-29 Panther lead at the break. Sharry led all scorers with 10 points at intermission, while the visitors made 58.6 percent of their first-half field goal attempts. Middlebury opened the second half with an 11-2 run and went ahead, 64-44, on a three-pointer by Nolan Thompson (Akron, Ohio) at the six-minute mark. The Panthers scored 12 of the game's final 15 points to account for the 76-47 final.

Trinity senior captain center Chris Applegate (High Point, N.C.) scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Thompson added 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists for the Panthers.