WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – A strong second half propelled the Connecticut College men's basketball team to a 67-55 victory over Farmingdale State College in the title game of the USJ Holiday Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Calhoun Gymnasium.

Conn trailed by four after a low-scoring first half but made up for it after the break, outscoring the Rams to the tune of 46-30. The Camels shot 64 percent in the second stanza and went 7-for-12 from beyond the arc. 

Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) scored a game-high 21 points—14 of which came in the second half—and was named tournament MVP. He was joined on the all-tournament team by Cam Schainfeld (Newton, Mass.), who finished with nine points and four assists. Edward Harrison (Charlottesville, Va.) also chipped in a season-high 10 points in 13 minutes off the bench.

Neither team led by more than three points in the opening 16 minutes of the contest. Harrison gave Conn its only lead of the half with a three-pointer at the 10-minute mark that made it 15-14. Farmingdale State pulled back in front on its next possession and played from in front for the remainder of the period. The Rams led by as many as five but went into the intermission with a 25-21 advantage.

Farmingdale State extended the margin to seven early in the second half, but Espinosa quickly drilled a three to keep the Camels close. Minutes later, Schainfeld followed a three of his own with a fast-break layup to cut the deficit to 31-29.

Conn kept within striking distance over the next seven minutes but couldn't grab the lead. The Camels finally pulled even on a three-pointer by RJ Casey (Nashville, Tenn.) that knotted the game at 43-43 with 10:32 to go.

Conn's first lead of the second half came with 7:09 to play when Espinosa splashed one of his five three-pointers in the game. However, a three-point play by Robbie Siechen put the Rams back on top less than a minute later.

The Camels saved their best for last, outscoring the Rams 18-4 over the final 6:10. Conn's defense didn't allow a field goal during the stretch and also forced four turnovers. After Schainfeld found Andrew Hartel (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) on a slip for an easy deuce, Espinosa buried another three to put Conn on top for good. Schainfeld then added a pretty baseline drive and was fouled on his reverse lay in for a three-point play, bumping the lead to 57-51 with 4:53 remaining.

Hartel finished with nine points, six rebounds and four blocks. Garrett Clar (Victor, N.Y.) and Dylan Watson (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) added six points and six rebounds apiece, and the former also tallied four assists and four steals.

Espinosa finished as the tournament's leading scorer, averaging 21.0 points per game on 56-percent shooting. His 10 three-point field goals and seven steals were also the most of any player. Schainfeld averaged 9.0 points and a tournament-best 6.5 assists over the two games.

Conn (7-5 overall) will next play at No. 12 Keene State College on Saturday, January 4 at 1:00 p.m.