Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Junior Jaquann Starks (Hartford, Conn.) converted a pair of free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining in regulation to give Trinity College the, 86-83, road victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's men's basketball team in the season opener on Saturday afternoon at the Tripp Athletic Center.
Trailing 78-69 with 3:04 left, the Corsairs (0-1) embarked on a 14-5 run to bring the game to an 83-all tie with seconds remaining in the contest. Back-to-back trifectas from seniors Jake Laga (Northampton, Mass.) and John Genkos (Worcester, Mass.) sparked the streak for the home team. After two successful attempts from the charity stripe for the Bantams, senior Josh Castillo (Lynn, Mass.) buried a three-pointer to cut the deficit down to two points (80-78).
Following a free throw exchange, Castillo put in a layup to trim the margin to one, 82-81. Trinity senior Hart Gliedman (New York, New York) missed the first and made the second of a pair of free throw attempts to increase the Bantams' lead to two points. Junior Jordan Rezendes (Onset, Mass.) then scored the final two of his game-high 30 points with a jumper to tie the game at 83 apiece with 4.3 seconds left.
Down 86-83 with 3.1 seconds remaining, Rezendes's final attempt to push the game into overtime caromed off the back rim. He shook free from the Trinity defense, dribbled up the left side of the court and pulled up with a defender in his face from beyond the three-point line as time expired.
The Corsairs' three-point barrage (13 of 27, 48.1 percent) allowed them to overcome a drastic disparity in the rebounding column. The Bantams snatched 42 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, compared to half as many from UMass Dartmouth (21).
The Corsairs produced a three-headed attack of Rezendes, Genkos and Laga, who accounted for 69 of the team's 83 points. In his debut in navy and gold, Rezendes poured in 11 field goals, distributed a game-high seven assists, produced two steals and grabbed a pair of rebounds.
After missing the entire 2013-14 season due to a knee injury, Genkos returned to form, scoring 25 points, highlighted by a sharpshooting display from beyond the arc (7-8). The Worcester, Mass. product reeled in a team-high six caroms and handed out three helpers. Laga had a clutch shooting performance with 14 points on five of nine from the field, including a pair of three-pointers for UMass Dartmouth.
Trinity had five players reach double-figure point totals as sophomore Ed Ogundeko (Brooklyn, New York) paved the way with a game-high nine rebounds to go with a team-high 20 points and two blocks. Junior Shay Ajayi (Brooklyn, New York) put in 16 points and gathered seven boards, including five on the offensive end. Starks registered 13 points in 18 minutes off the bench, knocking down four crucial free throws in as many attempts. Gliedman recorded 12 points on four of five shooting, while senior George Papadeas (Athens, Greece) narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.
UMass Dartmouth held an advantage in the turnover category (26-18) and held a 35-33 lead at the intermission.
The Corsairs close out the 2014 Hampton Inn Classic on Sunday when they take on the College of Staten Island Dolphins at 6:30 p.m., while the Bantams take on the Salem State University Vikings at 4:30 p.m. at the Tripp Athletic Center.
