NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College men's basketball team used an explosive first half to secure an 80-62 victory over Amherst College on Friday night in NESCAC action at Luce Field House.

The Camels netted a season-high 50 points in the opening half and led for all but 1:19 of the contest. Conn pumped the lead to as many as 26 in the second half and was never threatened en route to its third-straight win over the Mammoths.

Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) paced four Conn players in double figures with 17 points, 14 of which came in the opening 6:30 of the game. Ben Rice (Hanson, Mass.) added 16 points and five rebounds while David Murray (Jackson Heights, N.Y.) finished with 14 points, five boards and three blocks. Dylan Watson (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) came off the bench to chip in 12 points and five caroms.

With the victory, Conn improved to 6-1 in NESCAC play and is tied for second place in the league standings. The six conference wins are the most for the program since the 2001-02 season.

The Camels were ready from the jump, and Espinosa led the charge with an early barrage that accounted for Conn's first six points. Later, the hosts used a 13-0 run to open up a 21-8 lead with 13:38 to go in the half, with Espinosa dropping in another eight points.

Conn closed the half on a 14-3 run to lead by 21 at the break. Rice contributed eight points during the stretch, including a fast-break dunk that resulted in a three-point play. The Camels ended the half on a high note, as a last-second three-pointer by Billy Whelan (Hamilton, Mass.) brought the crowd to its feet.

In addition to Espinosa's 14 first-half points, Conn got 13 from Rice and 10 from Murray and led 50-29 at intermission. Amherst stayed as close as it did thanks to the play of Marc Garraud and Charlie Randall, who combined for all but two of the team's points in the stanza.

The Mammoths cut the deficit to 16 in the opening moments of the second half, but Conn responded with a 10-0 run that included threes by RJ Casey (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Espinosa. The spurt, which was capped by a layup from Jarron Flynn (Roslindale, Mass.), yielded the Camels' largest lead at 60-34 with 15:54 to go.

Conn shot 48 percent for the game and drilled a season-high 13 three-pointers on 26 attempts. Casey, Espinosa and Rice supplied three treys apiece while Watson finished with two.

Randall posted a game-high 26 points on 11-for-23 shooting to lead the Mammoths, who dropped to 13-9 overall (4-4 NESCAC). Garraud also finished in double digits with 13 points.

Conn (16-5 overall, 6-1 NESCAC) will next host Hamilton College on Sunday, February 4 at 1:00 p.m.