UTICA, N.Y. – The Connecticut College men's basketball team used a big first half to advance past Rochester Polytechnic Institute, 68-52, Friday evening in the opening round of the Utica University Classic at the Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium.

The Camels picked up right where they left off prior to the 18-day layoff for exams and the holidays, shooting a blistering 52 percent in the first half to build a 41-22 lead by intermission. Despite cooling off in the second half, Conn never let the lead dip below 15 and improved to 9-2 on the season. 

Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) paced the Camels with a career-high 24 points and shot 6-for-12 from beyond the arc. David Murray (Jackson Heights, N.Y.) chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds for a Camels squad that shot just under 45 percent for the game.

Conn took control midway through the first half with a 14-0 run that yielded a 26-12 advantage. Murray got things started with back-to-back buckets in the paint, the last of which came on a dunk and resulted in a three-point play. Cam Schainfeld (Newton, Mass.) followed with a fast-break three-pointer and a turnaround jumper in the lane, and Espinosa capped the spurt with a steal and another three.

The lead ballooned to 19 in the final minutes of the half as Espinosa hit his fourth three of the stanza. Billy Whelan (Hamilton, Mass.) followed with a three of his own to round out the scoring, as the Camels shot 6-for-16 from deep in the half. Espinosa led all scorers with 14 points at the break. 

Conn built the lead to as many as 25 in the early stages of the second half before weathering a four-minute stretch without a field goal. The Engineers cut the deficit to 18 before the Camels recovered, with a layup by Dylan Watson (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) and a three-pointer from Espinosa bringing the margin back to 25.

Johnny Angbazo and Dylan Matchett scored eight points apiece to lead the Engineers (3-6 overall), who shot 33 percent for the game.

Conn will face the host Pioneers in Saturday's title game at 3:00 p.m. Utica advanced to the finals with a 95-60 victory over Colby-Sawyer College in Friday's first game.