NEW LONDON, Conn. – Connecticut College went head-to-head with No. 8 New York University on Saturday afternoon but came up on the short end of a 78-73 final in a non-conference men's basketball clash at Luce Field House.

In an intense game that was close throughout, the Violets used a late 8-0 surge to take their biggest lead of the day at 72-62 with 3:37 remaining. Although the Camels fought back to within three in the final seconds, a pair of free throws sewed up the victory for the visitors.  

NYU (6-1 overall) shot just under 60 percent for the game and went 14-for-26 from beyond the arc. Spencer Freedman led the Violets with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting and also handed out six assists. Hampton Sanders came off the bench to contribute 15 points while Michael Savarino and Zay Freeney also scored in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Conn was equally adept on the offensive end, shooting 50 percent from the floor while going 9-for-18 from deep. Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) paced four Camels in double digits with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting. David Murray finished with 14 points and five rebounds, and RJ Casey (Brentwood, Tenn.) netted all 12 of his points in the first half. Ben Rice (Hanson, Mass.) battled foul trouble for most of the game but still contributed 11 points and four boards

Neither team led by more than four points in a highly entertaining first half in which each side shot better than 50 percent from the field. NYU limited Murray to only two points in the stanza thanks to frequent double teams, but Casey picked up the slack by draining all four of his three-point attempts.

With the score tied 39-39 at the break, the teams continued to trade blows in the second half as neither side could build a sizable advantage. Conn's biggest lead came with 13:13 to play when a layup by Jarron Flynn (Roslindale, Mass.) capped a 9-0 run and put the Camels up 56-51. NYU quickly responded with back-to-back threes from Savarino and Freedman to pull back in front.

Just over six minutes later, a bucket by Murray brought Conn to within two at 64-62 with 5:37 to go. The Violets fired back with eight straight points over the next two minutes to extend their lead to double digits. Savarino and Freedman once again supplied dagger threes during the stretch, and the Camels were left with just over three minutes to respond.

Conn shot 5-for-6 in the final 3:05 but couldn't make up the deficit. A layup by Cam Schainfeld (Newton, Mass.) cut it to a one-possession game with under five seconds remaining, but the Camels couldn't get a steal on the ensuing inbounds play and were forced to foul. Sanders wrapped up the win for the Violets by sinking both freebies.

Conn (5-2 overall) will next host Emmanuel College on Wednesday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m.