PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Connecticut College men's basketball team dropped a 76-69 final to Rhode Island College on Thursday afternoon in a non-conference tilt at the Murray Center.

The Anchormen used a 10-0 run in the final five minutes to seize control, improving to 7-4 overall on the season. Dwayne Robinson O'Hagan led four RIC players in double figures with a game-high 19 points. Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) and Dylan Watson (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) paced the Camels with 16 points apiece while Cam Schainfeld (Newton, Mass.) chipped in 13. 

Espinosa got the Camels off to a good start with a three and a put-back in the opening stages of the contest. Loudon Chupas netted the first eight points for the Anchormen, who jumped out to a 15-7 advantage after five minutes of play.

Conn scored eight straight points to even the score at 15-15, getting three-pointers from Edward Harrison (Charlottesville, Va.) and RJ Casey (Nashville, Tenn.) during the swing. The Camels later used a 10-2 spurt that included threes by Espinosa and Casey to take their biggest lead of the half at 25-20 with 7:29 to go.

RIC spent the remainder of the half playing from behind. Trailing by one, the Anchormen looked to take the final shot of the half but missed on a corner three. Andrew Hartel (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) grabbed the rebound and sent a quick outlet pass down the floor to Garrett Clar (Victor, N.Y.) for a buzzer-beating layup to put the Camels up 33-30 at the break.

Conn did a good job against RIC's Ousmane Kourouma in the half. The Camels limited the big man—a front runner for Little East Conference Player of the Year honors—to only five points on 2-for-5 shooting. Chupas led all scorers with nine points at intermission while Espinosa had eight.

Early in the second half, a tip-in by Hartel brought Conn's lead to 38-34. The Anchormen responded with nine straight points to vault into the lead, and the hosts never trailed again.

RIC led 58-50 with 7:04 to play when Conn ripped off seven straight points to claw back to within one. Clar provided the spark with back-to-back buckets, capped by a three from the corner off a fast-break feed from Casey.

The Anchormen reset with a timeout before going on a 10-0 run to stay in front. CJ Wilson provided all eight of his points during the stretch, which left the hosts with a 68-57 advantage with 1:40 remaining.

Kourouma finished with 12 points—well below his season average of 23.1 per game—but added game highs of 13 rebounds and four blocks. 

Conn (5-5 overall) will next play Western Connecticut State University at the USJ Holiday Tournament on Sunday, December 29 at 1:00 p.m.