Hartford, Conn. - Sophomore center Courtney Erickson (Everett, Mass.) had 19 points and eight rebounds to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 74-67 win over the visiting Wesleyan University Cardinals in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's basketball action this afternoon at Oosting Gymnasium.  Trinity improves to 11-3 overall, its best start since 2010-11, and 2-1 in the NESCAC, while the Cardinals drop to 5-9 overall and 0-4 in the league with their fifth consecutive setback.  Trinity, which won, 77-72, in overtime against Connecticut College last night, posts its first 2-0 weekend in league play since 2013-14. Wesleyan sophomore guard Olivia Gorman (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) came off the bench to drill six treys and score a game-high 33 points in a losing effort.

Trinity shot 56.7 percent in the field in the second half to overcome a 37-32 deficit at halftime.  A pair of three-pointers by senior co-captain guard Kaitlin Lewis (Demarest, N.J.) sandwiched around a free throw by junior guard Aubree Udell (Chester, N.J.) out of the break tied the game at 39-all 2:26 into the third quarter.  Erickson gave the Bantams a 41-39 lead with a layup at the 6:06 mark of the third, but Wesleyan junior forward Maddie Bledsoe (Newton, Mass.) converted on an old-fashioned three-point play moments later to put the visitors ahead for the last time.  Bantam first-year forward Peace Kabari (Manchester, N.H.) made a steal off full-court pressure and scored to put Trinity back ahead, and a Kabari free throw and jumper on the baseline by sophomore guard Erica Junquet (Monroe, N.J.) made the score, 46-42, with 4:16 left in the third frame. 

Trinity led by six, 53-47, on a Junquet layup inside the final minute before the last break, but Gorman made a trey and two free throws to close the gap to one with one quarter remaining.  Trinity pulled ahead with a 10-2 run to start the final stanza, as senior co-captain Sheena Landy (Durham, Conn.) scored six of the 10 points for the Bantams.  Two more foul shots by Gorman pulled the Cardinals to within three at 70-67 with a minute left, but Udell answered with a long ball from the left corner and the Bantam defense held Wesleyan scoreless the rest of the way.

Trinity had led, 22-17, after the first quarter, as sophomore forward Erin Cunningham (Wilton, Conn.) led the way with seven points.  Gorman made a trey with 2:03 on the clock in the second quarter to give the Cardinals their largest lead at 37-38, but Erickson brought Trinity back to within five at the break with the last two buckets of the first half.  Wesleyan shot 50 percent from the field and 56.6 percent from long range (6-11) in the first two quarters.  Erickson had 12 points at the break, and Wesleyan junior Maeve Vitale (Rosell, Ga.) had 10 rebounds.

Trinity won despite missing 12 of 21 free throws and finishing behind on the glass, 41-to-35, with its hot shooting and stifling defense that held Wesleyan to a 25.8 field-ooal percentage in the second half.  Landy joined Erickson in double digits in scoring with 10 points to go with six rebounds, while Kabari notched nine points, four rebounds, and a game-high seven assists off the bench, and Cunningham added nine points and five rebounds.  Vitale finished with eight points and a game-high 11 boards.