MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Jarrel Okorougo scored 20 points and No.3-seed Trinity turned a one-point halftime deficit into a strong second-half performance, pulling away from top-seeded Wesleyan 80-55 on Sunday at Silloway Gymnasium to clinch the Bantams' third consecutive NESCAC Men's Basketball title before a crowd of 2,443. Trinity is the second program in conference history to capture three straight NESCAC crowns (Amherst: 2012, 2013, 2014).
Jared Berry provided the decisive spark off the bench, finishing with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers, while dishing three assists and committing just one turnover in 20 minutes of play. Henry Vetter contributed 13 points and knocked down three of Trinity's eight triples in the second half as the Bantams outscored the Cardinals 50-24 after intermission.
Trinity trailed 31-30 at halftime but seized control immediately in the second half, with Okorougo converting a put-back layup to give the Bantams the lead for good just 19 seconds in. Midway through the second half - a run capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from Vetter and Berry - pushed Trinity's lead to 22 as the Bantams eased to the final margin of victory.
Zach Wolinski led Wesleyan with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, but the Cardinals shot just 31 percent in the second half and committed seven of their 15 turnovers after the break. Trinity converted 17 points off turnovers compared to just five for the home team.
Tristan Davis grabbed nine rebounds and Drew Lazarre added 11 points and six boards to round out a balanced Trinity effort. The Bantams' bench outscored Wesleyan's reserves 27-4.
Ben Lyttle finished with 10 points and six rebounds for Wesleyan, which was unable to sustain its hot first-half shooting (52%).
As NESCAC Champions, Trinity, the defending NCAA Division III Champion, earns an automatic berth in the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Tournament. The Bantams will find out their first round opponent during the Selection Show on Monday, March 2 at 1:00 p.m. on NCAA.com.
