SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Connecticut College men's basketball team bounced back to post a 76-58 victory over SUNY Oneonta on Wednesday afternoon in the opening round of the 2025 Naismith Classic at Blake Arena.

The Camels, who limited the Red Dragons to 31-percent shooting, connected on 10 three-pointers on the day. Conn has now registered double-digit threes in eight of 11 games this season and improved to 7-1 overall in those contests. 

Dylan Watson (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) led all scorers with 18 points and registered his third double-double of the season with a game-high 12 rebounds. He also finished with three blocks and a pair of steals in 28 minutes of action.

PJ Johnson (Marietta, Ga.) and James LaFrance (Guilford, Conn.) also scored in double digits for the Camels, who shot 42 percent from the floor. Johnson racked up 13 points of 4-for-5 shooting while LaFrance chipped in 12 points, all from beyond the arc.

Conn never trailed at any point thanks to a 14-4 burst that yielded a 19-9 advantage just nine minutes into the game. Johnson and Robert Blandburg (Kilgore, Texas) each contributed four points during the spurt while Garrett Clar (Victor, N.Y.) added a three.

The Camels led by as many as 15 in the opening half before settling in with a 38-26 lead at intermission. Eight Conn players contributed on the offensive end, with Johnson, Blandburg and LaFrance supplying six points apiece.

Conn never let the lead dip below double digits in the second half, and increased the margin to as many as 19 midway through the stanza. Watson netted 13 points after the break to lead the charge. 

Nicholas Cortez paced the Red Dragons (3-4 overall) with 12 points while Nate Cohen chipped in 11. 

Conn (9-2 overall) will next play Springfield College on Thursday, January 1 at 2:30 p.m. in the second round of the Naismith Classic.