NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College men's basketball team earned its first NESCAC win of the season on Friday night, knocking off Middlebury College by a 78-66 final at Luce Field House.

Five Camels scored in double figures as Conn won its fourth straight meeting with the Panthers. Greg Cantwell (Glen Head, N.Y.) led the way with 15 points while Dylan Watson (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) added a monster double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds. Garrett Clar (Victor, N.Y.) chipped in 12 points and six boards while James LaFrance (Guilford, Conn.) tacked on 10 points.

Conn played from in front for a majority of the contest, losing the lead only once in the opening half. The Camels trailed for only 11 seconds of game time, as a jumper by PJ Johnson Jr. (Marietta, Ga.) and a three by Quron Zene Jr. (Windsor, Conn.) put them back on top with 5:11 remaining in the stanza.

The Camels ended the half with an 8-0 run to take a 35-27 lead into the break. Watson provided a pair of putbacks to help stoke the spurt, and layups by Cantwell and Cole Craffey (Easton, Mass.) sent Conn into the intermission with all the momentum.

Middlebury kept it close until the midway point of the second half, when the Camels bumped the lead to double digits behind a 16-3 stretch. Cantwell found LaFrance for a corner three that made it 54-44 with 9:44 to play, and moments later Clar drilled a three off a feed from Elias Espinosa (Leonia, N.J.). Clar then found Watson with a no-look pass for a dunk that made it 59-47 with 8:29 to go.

Conn took its largest lead of the night at 70-54 on a pair of Watson free throws with 3:29 to play. The Panthers whittled the margin down to 10 by the final minute but never got within striking distance.

The Camels finished 20-for-20 from the free throw line, led by a 6-for-6 effort from Clar. Watson's 16 rebounds—nine of which came on the offensive glass—were a career high for the junior.

Kuba Cwalina led Middlebury (6-8 overall, 0-3 NESCAC) with 19 points and shot 4-for-8 from three-point range. Ian Murray and Dominick Ducree finished with 10 points apiece. 

Conn (12-4 overall, 1-2 NESCAC) will next host Williams College on Saturday, January 17 at 3:00 p.m.