NEW LONDON, Conn. – Connecticut College overcame an 18-point second-half deficit to post a 63-53 victory over Baruch College on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference men's basketball showdown at Luce Field House.

In a tale of two halves, the Bearcats took control in the first by shooting 61 percent from the floor en route to a 34-18 lead at intermission. The Camels came roaring back in the second half, outscoring their opponent to the tune of 45-19 while forcing eight turnovers and shooting 59 percent. 

David Murray (Jackson Heights, N.Y.) was the catalyst on both ends of the floor for Conn, finishing with game highs of 16 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. Billy Whelan (Hamilton, Mass.) chipped in 12 points off the bench while Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) contributed 11, and Cam Schainfeld (Newton, Mass.) netted all 10 of his points in the second half.

Baruch was the aggressor in the first half, attacking Conn's zone with mid-range jumpers and baseline cuts to grab an early lead. The Bearcats used a 13-2 run to pull ahead 18-8 with 7:24 left in the stanza. Emil Purisic and Sayeed Osorio combined for 11 points during the stretch. 

The Camels failed to keep pace, shooting just 29 percent in the first, as the Bearcats closed the half with a 10-1 run. Devin Nicholson hit a pair of threes and contributed eight points in the spurt as the visitors took a 34-18 advantage into the locker room at the break. 

Conn flipped the script in the second half, playing with an edge that flustered Baruch and swung the momentum. Murray set the tone by blocking shots, grabbing tough rebounds and scoring in traffic. The Camels closed the gap with a 17-2 run—which included three buckets from Murray, along with three-pointers by Schainfeld, Espinosa and Whalen—to shrink the deficit to 40-39 with 11:07 to go.
Less than a minute later, another three by Whelan gave the Camels their first lead since the early stages of the contest. The Bearcats hung around for the next few possessions, but back-to-back scores by Andrew Hartel (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) sparked another Conn run that quickly put the game out of reach. The Camels rallied for 16 straight points and took their biggest lead at 60-45 with 3:54 remaining.

Baruch, which went from leading by 18 to trailing by 15 within a span of 15:42, shot just 30 percent in the second half. Devin Nicholson paced the Bearcats with 13 points but had only two in the second stanza. 

Murray shot 7-for-9 from the floor and had six of the Camels' nine offensive rebounds. Espinosa handed out five assists and also blocked a pair of shots, and Whelan finished 4-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Conn (7-2 overall) returns to action at Johnson & Wales University on Monday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m.