LEWISTON, Maine – Behind a career-high 30 points from David Murray (Jackson Heights, N.Y.), the Connecticut College men's basketball team picked up a 73-49 victory over Bates College on Sunday afternoon in NESCAC action at Alumni Gym.
The Bobcats had no answer for Murray, who also stuffed the stat sheet with 12 rebounds, five blocks, three assists and a steal. RJ Casey (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Billy Whelan (Hamilton, Mass.) each shot 3-for-4 from three-point range and finished with 11 and nine points, respectively. Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) also scored in double figures with 11 points and had a pair of steals.
The Camels raced out to a 10-3 start in the opening minutes as Murray got going early, scoring on a put back before drilling a jumper. Bates responded with an 11-3 spurt to pull in front with 11:02 left in the half, and for the rest of the stanza the teams traded blows.
Back-to-back threes from Whelan—followed by another Murray jumper—gave the Camels a 25-19 advantage with 4:20 to go in the period. After the Bobcats rallied to tie the score at 27-27, Murray recorded the final two baskets of the half to give Conn a 31-27 edge at the break. He led all scorers with 16 points at intermission and shot 8-for-11 in the half.
The Camels were quick to take control in the second half. After Elliott Cravitz made three free throws to bring the Bobcats to within one at 31-30, Conn ripped off 16 straight points over the next 5:31. Murray accounted for half of the points, and Casey chipped in a pair of three-pointers as Conn extended the lead to 47-30. Bates missed eight shots during the stretch and went nearly six minutes of game time without scoring a point.
Conn continued to pour it on, shooting over 50 percent from the floor in the second half. Casey drained all three of his treys in the stanza while Espinosa added a pair, and the Camels led by as many as 28 in the final minutes.
Murray, who recorded his sixth double-double of the season, shot 14-for-21 from the floor and added a pair of free throws to round out his career day.
Conn (11-3 overall, 2-0 NESCAC) will next play at Trinity College on Friday, January 12 at 7:00 p.m.