Hartford, Conn. – Senior tri-captain Peace Kabari (Manchester, N.H.) and sophomore Bailey Hyland (Broad Brook, Conn.) each had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 56-45 victory over the visiting Colby College Mules in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's basketball action this afternoon at Oosting Gymnasium.  Trinity improves to 10-4 overall and 1-1 in the NESCAC  while stopping a three-game losing skid.  Colby falls to 4-9 overall and 0-2 in the league with its third setback in a row.  Trinity visits Babson on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in its next game.  The Mules host conference rival Middlebury on Friday at 7 p.m.

Trinity used a 7-0 run, including five points by sophomore center Elizabeth Althoff (Staten Island, N.Y.) to go ahead, 11-5, late in the first quarter, but Colby senior Ainsley Burns (Barrington, R.I.) made a three-pointer in the final minute to make it a three-point game at the first break.  The Bantam defense was stifling in the second stanza, holding the Mules to just two field goals and five points.  Hyland paced the home squad with seven of its 16 points in the second frame, and Trinity led, 27-13, at halftime.  Colby shot 16.7 percent from the floor (5-30) and 14.3 percent from long range (2-145) over the first two quarters.

Trinity maintained its double-digit advantage for most of the third stanza, and led, 35-21, after a steal and a layup by Kabari with 4:55 on the clock, but the Mules closed the period with five straight points.  Colby sophomore guard Carly Cristofori (Belmont, Mass.) scored on a drive in the final seconds to cut the Trinity edge to 35-26 at the final stoppage.

Colby kept chipping away and pulled to within two baskets at 41-37 midway through the fourth quarter on a layup by Burns.  Trinity answered with a 9-0 run that included a two- and a three-pointer by Kabari to push its advantage back up over 10 points with under two minutes on the clock.  The Bantams went to the foul line four times in the final 39 seconds and connected of six of eight attempts.

Trinity controlled the glass with a 44-to-38 rebounding advantage, as Althoff, sophomore forward Katie Kirsh (Pelham, N.H.), and first-year Bria Fuller (Springdale, Md.) each grabbed five boards in addition to the 22 by Kabari and Hyland.  Kirsch also contributed six points, a team-high four assists, and two blocks, while Althoff added seven points and three blocks, and Kabari made five steals and blocked one shot. 

Burns paced the Mules with 16 points to go with six rebounds, as the visitors caught fire from long range after halftime with seven makes in 15 tries (46.7%).  Freshman Brooke Guiffre (Wellesley, Mass.) scored 12 points, while junior center Grace Coutu (Barrington, R.I.) totaled five points, a team-high 10 boards, and two blocks, and Christofori finished with seven points and a game-high five assists.