NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College men's basketball team picked up a 74-59 victory over Bowdoin College on Friday night in a NESCAC clash at Luce Field House.
RJ Casey (Brentwood, Tenn.) netted a career-high 28 points while
David Murray (Jackson Heights, N.Y.) added a double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Camels. Ben Chilson paced the Polar Bears with 17 points.
Conn limited Bowdoin to only 11 points on 12-percent shooting in the first half. The Camels led 31-11 at the break and pushed the margin to as many as 21 in the second half.
Both teams got off to slow starts, combining for only six points through the opening five minutes of play. The Camels then kicked it into high gear, using a 13-0 stretch to open up a 15-4 lead with 6:43 to go in the stanza.
Conn also turned in a strong effort on the defensive end, holding Bowdoin scoreless for nearly nine minutes of game time. The Polar Bears missed 14 straight shots and turned the ball over four times before Chilson finally ended the drought with a three.
The Camels used a 12-2 run in the final 2:54 of the half to pull away. Bowdoin shot just 3-for-26 from the floor and committed 10 turnovers in the half.
Casey, who scored 19 points after intermission, provided a spark early in the second half. In a one-minute stretch he buried a pair of free throws, assisted on a Murray three-point play, and then converted a four-point play of his own to put the Camels up 40-19 with 16:47 to play.
Conn enjoyed a comfortable lead for the rest of the contest and never let the margin dip below double digits. The Polar Bears shot 62 percent in the second half but couldn't make up for the poor start. Bowdoin's starting five accounted for all but one of its 59 points.
Ben Rice (Hanson, Mass.) was a terror on defense all night for the Camels, finishing with seven rebounds, five steals and three blocks.
Cam Schainfeld (Newton, Mass.) also supplied five assists and four steals, and Murray finished with three assists and three blocks.
Conn (14-5 overall, 4-1 NESCAC) will next host Colby College on Sunday, January 28 at 1:00 p.m.
