CLINTON, N.Y. – The Connecticut College men's basketball team dropped a 72-62 decision to Hamilton College on Sunday afternoon in a NESCAC matchup at Scott Field House

Coming off a big win over Amherst on Friday, the Camels turned in a strong first half and looked poised to pick up another road victory. However, Hamilton erased a six-point halftime deficit with a 16-2 burst in the opening 4:09 of the second period, and Conn spent the rest of the game trying to close the gap. 

Elias Espinosa (Ridgefield Park, N.J.) netted a season-high 16 points to lead three Camels in double figures. Andrew Hartel (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) finished with 15 points and five rebounds while David Murray (Jackson Heights, N.Y.) added 13 points and fell one rebound shy of a double-double.

Teja Singh shot 5-for-10 from long range and poured in a game-high 23 points to lead the Continentals, who improved to 15-7 overall. Hamilton also remained a half game behind Middlebury for the top spot in the NESCAC standings at 6-2.

A three-pointer by Ryan Banks (Bracknell, England) put the visitors in front early, and Conn played with the lead for the rest of the half. An 11-2 run in the late stages of the stanza yielded the Camels' largest lead at 32-20, but Hamilton drilled a pair of threes in the final minute to cut the deficit in half by intermission.

The majority of Conn's first-half production—10 of 12 field goals—came in the paint, as the Camels either drove the lane or pounded the ball down low. Hartel led all scorers with 10 points at the break.

The Continentals came out hot to start the second half, shooting their way back into the lead for the first time since the opening minutes of the contest. Singh and Liam Regan each drilled a pair of threes during the 16-2 spurt, pushing Hamilton to a 42-34 lead with 15:51 left to play.

After the hosts pumped the lead to double digits with 9:48 remaining, Espinosa went on an 8-0 tear to bring the Camels back within two. During a 67-second sequence the rookie contributed a three-point play, a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to trim the deficit to 51-49.

Back-to-back buckets by Singh kept the Continentals in front, and despite another three by Espinosa, the Camels eventually ran out of time. Down the stretch, Hamilton padded the lead at the free throw line to sew up the win.   

Conn College (13-9 overall, 4-4 NESCAC) wraps up the final weekend of league action at home. The Camels will next host Middlebury on Friday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m.