TRINITY MEN’S BASKETBALL WINS INVITATIONAL FINAL AGAINST EASTERN CONNECTICUT
Bantam Junior Rowe Selected as Tournament MVP

Hartford, Conn. – Junior guard Paul Rowe (Brooklyn, N.Y.) totaled 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists to take tournament MVP honors, as the Trinity College Bantams defeated the visiting Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors, 85-77, in the finals of the Trinity College Men’s Basketball Invitational Tournament this afternoon at Oosting Gymnasium. Trinity, which downed Maine Maritime in the first round yesterday, 95-52, improves to 10-3, while the Warrior drop to 6-4. The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Red Hawks won again the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners, 80-72, in the consolation game earlier this afternoon. Eastern Connecticut had beaten Rensselaer, 79-74, last night to reach the finals. The Red Hawks return home with a 4-6 record and Maine Maritime falls to 3-6 with a pair of tournament defeats.

Trinity senior outscored Eastern Connecticut, 13-5, over the final 3:30 of the game, after Warrior sophomore guard Edwin Ortiz (Hartford, Conn.) knotted the game at 72-72 lead on his third three-pointer of the game. Bantam senior tri-captain forward Robert Taylor (Dorchester Center, Mass.) and classmate Patrick Hasiuk (Enfield, Conn.) scored all 13 of Trinity’s final points, including a dunk by Taylor with just over three minutes left that gave the Bantams the lead for good at 74-72. After a Hasiuk three-pointer from the right wing, Eastern Connecticut senior tri-captain forward Leon Martin (Woodbury, Conn.) made two free throws to cut the lead to three points at 77-74 with 2:20 on the clock. Hasiuk assisted Taylor on a lay-up to answer the threat and calmly sank a pair of free throws after a warrior miss to up the Bantam advantage to 81-74 with one minute remaining.

Eastern Connecticut held a 42-40 lead at the half, shooting 58.6 percent from the field, and receiving 12 first-half points from senior tri-captain center Kevin Zalucki (Enfield, Conn.) and 11 points apiece by both Ortiz and Martin. Rowe scored 12 of his points in the opening stanza to pace the Bantams. The Bantams shot 55.2 percent from the field in the second half and 53.2 percent for the game, while outboarding the Warriors, 36-26. Taylor joined Rowe with 22 points and added four rebounds, and two blocks, while senior tri-captain center Russ Martin (East Longmeadow, Mass.) added 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists. All three graced the all-tournament squad. Martin finished with 20 points, a game-high 12 boards, six assists, and three steals and was named to the all-tournament team for the Warriors. Ortiz paced Eastern Connecticut with 21 points and added six assists and Zalucki totaled 14 points and six rebounds.

In the nightcap, Eastern Connecticut outscored the Red Hawks, 13-7, to close the game after Rensselaer had taken a 67-66 lead with just under seven minutes remaining on a pair of free throws by freshman guard D.J. Blakemore (Bloomfield, Mich). Warrior junior guard Larry Kelley (New Haven, Conn.) hit back-to-back treys to give Eastern back the lead at 72-69 and added a third jumper from long range with three minutes remaining to give Eastern Connecticut a 77-71 advantage. RPI cut the lead to 77-74 at the three-minute mark on a three-pointer by senior guard Kris Kowalczyk (Troy, N.Y.), but the Red Hawks missed their next four shots before Warrior sophomore guard Edwin Ortiz (Hartford, Conn.) put the game away on a fast-break lay-up with 17 seconds on the clock.

In the consolation game, Rensselaer received a strong performance from senior Sam Simmons (Newburgh, N.Y.), who scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half, and finished with nine rebounds and four assists in the contest. Red Hawk Senior Kris Kowalczyk (Troy, N.Y.) hit four treys in six tries for the second straight game, finishing with 12 points and three assists, and senior Sam Zullo (Indian Lake, N.Y.) scored 12 points to go along with four assists. Senior Devin Galvin (Newburyport, Mass.) chipped in with 11 for the Red Hawks. Junior Derek DiFrederico (Millinocket, Maine) scored 18 points and added six assists and five rebounds for the Mariners, which shot 55.8 percent from the floor. Senior Neil Stewart (Rangeley, Maine) added 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out two assists, while first-year Michael Wharff (Sangerville, Maine) hit four three-pointers on the afternoon for a total of 16 points for the Mariners. Simmons and Stewart rounded out the all-tournament team.