MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In their first home game in well over a month, the No. 21 nationally-ranked Wesleyan men's basketball team continued to roll as the Cardinals took down Trinity, 82-74, on Friday night. Owners of a seven-game win streak for the second time this season, Wesleyan (14-1, 2-0 NESCAC) balanced what was their worst shooting performance of the season with a season-high 20 free throws and a season-low eight turnovers against the Bantams (7-4, 0-1 NESCAC).
Playing without leading scorer
Sam Peek '22, Wesleyan saw several players step up and take a more leading role.
Preston Maccoux '23 led the way with a team-high 21 points (7-15 FG, 4-10 3FG) to go along with nine rebounds and four assists against just one turnover in 36 minutes.
Gabe Ravetz '23 notched his second straight double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Jordan James '22 produced a season-high 14 points (7-10 FG) with nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks in just 22 minutes as he fouled out late in the second half.
Shackylle Dezonie '23 finished with his first career double-double, scoring 11 points to go along with a career-high 12 rebounds and four assists.
It was a resounding start for the home side as James thundered home a dunk 2:31 into play while the Cardinal defense held Trinity scoreless for the opening 3:22 of play. Maccoux banged in three-pointers on consecutive possessions, followed by a
Nicky Johnson '25 pull-up triple in transition, as a quick 9-0 run made it 15-5 Wesleyan.
The Cardinal lead hovered around 10 points before
Jared Langs '25 finished off a Dezonie feed in the paint before Dezonie grabbed a defensive board and quickly swung a pass upcourt to Ravetz who pulled up for a three-pointer that put the Cardinals out front 26-11.
Wesleyan's advantage grew to as many as 17 points as James tipped in a Johnson miss that made it 30-13 Cardinals with 7:16 left in the first half but the Bantams made a great push in the closing two minutes, rattling off six unanswered points to take a 14-point deficit down to just single digits at 40-32 at the halftime break.
That 6-0 run to end the half carried over into the second as Gilbert Otoo hit from deep on the first possession of the stanza to make it 40-35 Cardinals but the response was immediate and devastating to Trinity's comeback chances as Wesleyan scored 13 unanswered points in a span of just 3:36. Maccoux started with a three-pointer from the corner before James converted a put-back. Maccoux hit again from deep, Dezonie finished with a floater in the paint and
Steven Johnson '23 capped the 13-0 run with a layup in-transition as the Cardinals led 53-35 with 15:59 remaining.
Trinity didn't go away quietly as they trailed by 10 with 8:39 left and trailed by just six at 74-68 with 2:24 left and Will Dorion heading to the line attempting to complete a three-point play. Dorion, however, missed from the line which answered on the other end with a Ravetz put-back plus the foul as he hit the free throw to make it 77-68 Wesleyan. Free throws down the stretch sealed the win for Wesleyan as the Cardinals went 20-for-25 (80 percent) as a team from the free throw line for the game.
The Bantams were led by Will Dorion who scored a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists. Otoo finished with 13 points, Ben Callahan-Gold registered 11 while Ethan McEachem chipped in a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.
Wesleyan continues conference play on Sunday afternoon with a trip to Connecticut College on-tap. The Cardinals are 44-21 all-time against the Camels and have won the last nine meetings.
