Hartford, Conn. – The Trinity College Bantams scored 13 of the game's final 15 points to down the visiting Colby College Mules, 59-55, in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's basketball action this afternoon at Oosting Gymnasium.  Trinity, which trailed by seven points with just over three minutes left to play, improves to 11-5 and 1-3 in the NESCAC while snapping a three-game losing skid against the Mules.  Colby falls to 6-7 overall and 1-3 in the league.  Trinity hosts Stevens on Tuesday, January 16 at 5 p.m. in its next game, while the Mules host Pine Manor the same day at 7 p.m.

After a jumper by sophomore guard Paige Russell (Alexandria, Va.) with 3:34 on the clock put the Mules ahead, 53-46, Trinity rattled off 10 points in a row beginning with one of five three-pointers in seven attempts by junior forward Erin Cunningham (Wilton, Conn.) at the 3:06 mark.  Bantam sophomore Peace Kabari (Manchester, N.H.) scored inside moments later, and Cunningham drilled a trey from the right corner after a steal by sophomore guard Meghan Lewis (Demarest, N.J.) to put the home team ahead, 54-53, with 1:49 on the clock.  Each team scored on drives by Lewis and Colby senior forward Haley Driscoll (Bedford, N.H.), respectively, inside the final minute, and the Bantams had the ball with 40 seconds remaining.  Colby forced a long jumper by Trinity junior center Courtney Erickson (Everett, Mass.), but Lewis came up with an offensive rebound for the Bantams.  The Mules fouled Lewis, and she missed the first, grabbed her own rebound off a miss on the second shot, and made two more with six seconds on the clock to put the game out of reach.

Trinity led, 4-0, early, holding the Mules without a point for the first four minutes of the game, but Colby fought their way back and led, 12-10, on a three-pointer by junior guard Jackie Albanese (Manhasset, N.Y.) with 2:52 left in the first quarter.  Junior guard Becky Riefler (Garden City, N.Y.) hit a short jump shot to give the Bantams a 16-14 lead at the first break.  Colby led by as many as six points in the second quarter. 25-19, on a jumper by sophomore Ainsley Burns (Barrington, R.I.) with 4:24 on the clock, but Trinity scored the last three points before halftime to tie it at 27-all on a layup by Kabari and an Erickson free throw.  Colby led for most of the third quarter as well, holding a 39-34 advantage at the three-minute mark on a Driscoll layup, but Riefler scored the next four points to cut the Mule lead to one at the last break. Kabari opened the fourth frame with a short jumper to give Trinity a 40-39 lead, and the game was tied at 44-44 with 6:21 on the clock.  Colby junior guard Katie McCrum (Saco, Maine) drained two three-pointers over the next three minutes to help the Mules build its 53-46 lead, before Trinity's comeback down the stretch.

Four Bantams finished in double figures in scoring, as Cunningham and Kabari scored 15 points each and Erickson and Riefler added 10 points apiece.  Kabari also collected seven rebounds, game-highs of seven assists and three steals, and a blocked shot, while Lewis also grabbed seven boards to go with nine points.  Driscoll and McCrum had 17 points each for Colby, while Russell scored 16 points.  McCrum grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and Russell had seven boards, while both dished four assists.  Colby shot 46.9 percent from the field to 40.4 for the Bantams but committed 17 turnovers.  Trinity made just nine of 12 shots from the foul line.