Middletown, Conn. - Senior Joseph Kuo recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Wesleyan University men's basketball team held on to defeat the state rival Trinity College Bantams in a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men's basketball contest this afternoon, 65-61.  Trinity falls to 10-6 overall and 2-1 in the league with its first loss in five games, while Wesleyan improves to 13-3 overall and 2-2 in the conference with its second victory in as many days.

Wesleyan came out hot to start the game and jumped out to a 10-2 lead in just 3:14 of play.
The Bantams responded with a 6-0 run, but Wesleyan scored four straight to regain a double-digit lead.  Trailing 32-21 with 1:06 to play in the half, a three from sophomore Jeremy Arthur (Westbury, N.Y.) followed by a jumper from senior guard Langdon Neal (Chicago, Ill.) right before the clock expired cut Trinity's deficit to six at the half, 32-26.

The final 20 minutes of regulation went back-and-forth throughout, with neither team able to pull away.  Trinity got within three early in the second half following a lay-up from senior co-captain Chris Turnbull (Trumbull, Conn.) at the 17:28 mark.  Senior Harry Rafferty hit two three-pointers just over a minute apart to lift Wesleyan back up by eight, 45-37 with 12:14 to play in regulation.  Bantam senior co-captain Ed Ogundeko (Brooklyn, N.Y.) cut the deficit to three once again at the 6:56 mark, but a three-pointer and a steal and fast break lay-up by Nathan Krill gave the Cardinals another eight-point advantage at 52-44 with 5:50 remaining.  Turnbull scored 10 points for Trinity in the final 2:13 of play to get the Bantams within two, however, just :00.5 remained on the clock as Salim Green sealed the victory at the line shortly after.

Trinity was led by Ogundeko's 17 points and Turnbull's 13. Ogundeko also corralled a team-high eight rebounds, while Turnbull grabbed six.  Neal notched six points, six rebounds, and three steals.  Despite a very competitive game, Saturday's contest featured zero ties and zero lead changes.Rafferty scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting, Green scored 12 points and Kevin O'Brien pulled in a career-high 11 rebounds, dished out a game-high four assists and recorded two steals, while scoring seven points.