BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Connecticut College men's basketball team fell by an 82-79 final to Bowdoin College on Saturday afternoon in a NESCAC showdown at Morrell Gymnasium.

James LaFrance (Guilford, Conn.) and Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.) led the offensive attack for the Camels with 23 points apiece. Espinosa also netted his 1,000th career point in the contest, becoming the 21st player in program history to reach the milestone.

Bowdoin (10-4 overall, 1-1 NESCAC) shot 53 percent from the floor and had five players score in double figures. Ray Cuevas led all scorers with 26 points on 7-for-12 shooting and dropped in five three-pointers. 

The opening 14 minutes of the game were closely contested as the lead went back and forth. After a jumper by LaFrance and a layup by Espinosa netted the Camels a 23-19 advantage, the Polar Bears came roaring back with 10 straight points to take command. Cuevas and Ben Chilson each drilled threes during the stretch, and the hosts took a 39-32 advantage into the break.

Conn couldn't make up the difference in the second half, despite getting 14 points from Espinosa and 13 from LaFrance. The Polar Bears took their largest lead at 53-39 with 15:47 to play, and the Camels spent the rest of the game playing catch-up.

A three-point play by RJ Casey (Nashville, Tenn.) trimmed the deficit to 10 with 12:25 to go, and Alden Doran (Belgrade, Maine) followed with a three-pointer to cut the margin to seven. Later, a three-point play by LaFrance made it a 62-57 game with 7:00 to play.

Conn made things interesting down the stretch, outscoring Bowdoin by a 15-7 tally over the final 54 seconds. Espinosa splashed a deep three to make it a one-possession game with 0.9 seconds to go, but the Polar Bears successfully inbounded the ball and dribbled out the clock. Bowdoin also went 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the final minute to seal the victory.

Espinosa, playing in his 87th career game, reached the milestone on a free throw with 23 seconds left in the game. The 23 points were also a season high for the senior, who registered his 13th career game of 20+ points.   

Conn (10-4 overall, 0-2 NESCAC) will next play at Medgar Evers College on Monday, January 12 at 5:30 p.m.