NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College men's basketball team picked up its first NESCAC win of the season on Saturday afternoon, holding off Bowdoin College by a 72-68 tally at Luce Field House.

Conn, which trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, got key contributions from several players. Dylan Watson (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) led four Camels in double figures with 19 points and added nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) chipped in 16 points while Garrett Clar (Victor, N.Y.) finished with 14 points, five boards, five steals and four assists. Andrew Hartel (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) rounded out the group with a double-double of 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

Ray Cuevas netted a game-high 21 points and shot 6-for-12 from three-point range to pace the Polar Bears (9-6 overall, 0-2 NESCAC). Afamdi Achufusi recorded 13 points, six assists and five rebounds while James McGowan and Alex Halpern chipped in nine points apiece.

Cuevas had the hot hand early, drilling a trio of threes in the opening 6:28 to stake the Polar Bears to an 11-5 advantage. Bowdoin played from in front for a majority of the half, taking its biggest lead at 32-19 on a three-pointer by Halpern with 4:56 to go.

Conn rallied back with a 16-2 run over the final 4:09 of the half. Clar was the catalyst on both ends of the floor, tallying four points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists during a 2:45 span. Watson capped the stretch with a bucket in the paint that gave the Camels a 35-34 lead at the break.

The first seven minutes of the second half featured four ties and two lead changes. Conn pulled ahead for good on a pair of free throws by Clar that sparked a 10-3 run. Hartel hit a jumper while Alex Mitchell (Roxbury, Mass.) and Watson each drained threes to pump the lead to 62-55 with 9:26 left on the clock. 

Conn, which led by as many as nine, saw the margin shrink to four after Cuevas buried his sixth three of the game with 1:30 remaining. After Watson answered back with a jumper in the lane, Halpern drained another three to make it a 68-65 game with 49 seconds to go. 

Following a timeout, Conn put the ball in Clar's hands for a critical possession. He came off a screen at the top of the key and kicked out to RJ Casey (Nashville, Tenn.) on the wing, and the junior guard splashed a triple as the shot clock expired and with 21.5 seconds left on the game clock.

After the Polar Bears cut the deficit in half on a corner three by Achufusi with seven seconds left, Clar made it a two-possession game with a free throw at the other end. Bowdoin's final shot attempt of the game was rejected by Watson, and the Camels wrapped up their first conference win of the season.

Conn shot 47 percent for the game and went 10-for-19 from deep. Watson and Espinosa each contributed three treys while Casey added a pair.

Conn (9-7 overall, 1-1 NESCAC) will play at Middlebury College on Friday, January 17 at 7:00 p.m.