Box Score
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Following a 101-39 opening night win against Lehman College and an NCAA Championship last season, Trinity College used a late first half run to take control against Eastern Connecticut. The Warriors kept pace against the Bantams early on, but a 12-0 run (which turned into a 19-2 run) made it an 18-point game going into the break.

Dominick Dao (Terryville) had an efficient first half for the Warriors, combining with Drew Soltis (Bridgeport) to score the first 11 points for Eastern. A layup from Julian Sanchez (Willimantic) gave the Warriors a 13-11 lead, one that would end up being their last of the game. A balanced effort from the Bantams helped them combat the Warrior buckets, ending the game with 11 different scorers. Henry Vetter led the charge with 24 points off 9-13 shooting from the field.

Trinity had the luxury of subbing in 5 at a time at points during the game, with their starters sparking their late first half dominance. A Drew Lazarre turnover with just three seconds left in the half was one of only four given up by the Bantams all game. Eastern struggled with the Trinity defense, who forced 22 turnovers from the Warriors.

In the second half, Dao helped the Warriors stay in touch with the first 5 points for Eastern, just as he did in the first. There were flashes of positivity from games earlier in the season, with Michael Carothers (Queens, NY) performing strong in the assists column and Ray Carter (Springfield, MA) knocking down a couple threes. Despite the scoring for the Warriors, they struggled to contain the defending champions on the other side of the court. Dao moved to within 20 of 1,000 career points.

Points in the paint were a strong suit for the Bantams, doubling Eastern's total of 14 in the second half. Trinity scored 56 of their 99 from in the paint, outscoring the Warriors 28-5 on points off turnovers. Jalen Hamblin (West Hartford) was able to secure 10 rebounds on a day where he only took 3 shots. Sanchez had a solid game off the bench, shooting 6-11 for 15 points, adding 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.

The Warriors will face Connecticut College next Tuesday at 7 p.m. at home. The Camels are 2-0 after their win against SUNY New Paltz in their home opener. Conn College will have a 1 p.m. meeting on Saturday with Brandeis University, before traveling to Willimantic to take on the 3-1 Warriors. Eastern is 23-11 all time against the Camels, winning the contest in New London last year by a score of 61-60.