NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College men's basketball team held on for a 64-57 victory over Wesleyan University on Sunday afternoon in a NESCAC clash at Luce Field House.

Conn never trailed in the second half but had to fight off a late comeback by the Cardinals. Wesleyan got within a single point with 1:13 to play, but the Camels countered with a big basket by Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) and a clutch steal by Ben Rice (Hanson, Mass.) to help secure the win. 

Conn, which shot 48 percent for the game, picked up its first win in the series since 2011. Cam Schainfeld (Newton, Mass.) and David Murray (Jackson Heights, N.Y.) scored 16 points apiece to lead the Camels. Murray also added nine rebounds, four blocks and two assists to his stat line, and Espinosa finished with 11 points, seven boards and five assists.

Wesleyan's Shane Regan led all scorers with 20 points and handed out seven assists. Josh Cameron came off the bench to chip in 10 points for the Cardinals (10-5 overall, 2-1 NESCAC).

In a low-scoring first half, Conn used a 7-0 spurt in the final 1:16 to seize the momentum. Schainfeld jumpstarted the run with a rebound and put back on his own miss, and Murray later tacked on a pair of free throws. After the Cardinals missed on their final attempt of the half, Espinosa grabbed the rebound and pushed up the floor to find an open Billy Whelan (Hamilton, Mass.) for a buzzer-beater three.

Conn shot 48 percent in the half and led 31-21 at the break. The Camels held the Cardinals to 31-percent shooting that included a 0-for-8 effort from deep. 

The Camels came out firing in the second half and increased the lead to as many as 14 in the early going. Nicky Johnson finally gave Wesleyan its first three-pointer of the game at the 15:27 mark, and the visitors would go on to add six more as they attempted to chase Conn down.

Later in the half, an 8-2 stretch by the Cardinals made it a one-possession game with 4:07 to go. Regan drilled a pair of three-pointers and provided all eight points during the run.

On the ensuing possession, Espinosa answered back with a jumper to give the Camels some breathing room. But with 2:03 to play, Josh Cameron rebounded his own missed free throw and was fouled on the put back. He cashed in on the three-point play and made it a 54-52 game. 

After a pair of free throws by Schainfeld cushioned the lead back to four, Johnson hit a three-pointer with 1:13 left to make it a one-point game. The Camels then ran the shot clock down before putting the ball into Espinosa's hands on the left wing, and the sophomore drove to the baseline and launched a pull-up jumper off of one foot that rattled home. 

With a chance to tie the game, Wesleyan called a timeout to set up a final play. The Cardinals never even got a shot off, however, as Rice picked off a pass to the wing and was promptly fouled. He sank both free throws to extend the lead to five, and the Camels sealed the win behind late free throws by Whelan and Schainfeld.

Rice contributed six points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals on the day. Whelan also had a strong game off the bench, finishing with a pair of three-pointers and eight points. 

Conn (12-4 overall, 3-1 NESCAC) will next play at Albertus Magnus College on Thursday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m.