HARTFORD, Conn. -- Junior captain Meghan Graff scored a game-high 29 points and became the 21st player in Bates women's basketball history to join the 1000 points club in a 64-59 loss at Trinity Saturday afternoon. 

The Bobcats (11-6, 3-3 NESCAC) fell behind 21-9 after one quarter and ran out of time to complete the comeback.

Trinity improves to 14-4 overall with its third win in a row and takes over sole possession of first place in the conference with a 6-1 NESCAC mark.

Trinity jumped out to a 17-0 lead over the game's first 5:45 and led the entire game. Bates got back within single digits on two free throws by junior Brianna Gadaleta (Chappaqua, N.Y.) that made it, 23-14, at the six-minute mark of the second quarter, but back-to-back inside buckets by Samantha Gallo pushed Trinity ahead, 32-20, with 1:26 on the clock.  First-year Alexandra Long (Milton, Mass.) hit a 3-pointer for the Bobcats in the final 10 seconds before the half to make it 32-25.

Bates got within a basket at 34-32 on a layup by Graff (South Portland, Maine) early in the third stanza, but Trinity's Tori Varsamis answered with a bucket plus a foul shot, and Trinity kept the Bobcats at bay through the rest of the quarter. In the fourth, Graff scored on a drive to pull Bates to within a point at 49-48 with 5:56 on the clock, but Gallo, Hannah Marzo, and Indianna DelRocco went 5-for-5 from the foul line to power a 7-0 Trinity spurt over the next 1:45. Graff made a long trey to make the score, 63-59, late but Marzo had a steal and a blocked shot and made a free throw in the final 10 seconds to preserve the win for the Bantams.

Trinity out-rebounded Bates, 47-36, scored 30 points in the paint, and held Bates to 31.9 percent field-goal shooting. Marzo added five rebounds to her team-high 18 points, while Gallo contributed 13 points, a game-high 11 boards, and four assists. Trinity's Bailey Hyland finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and five assists and Varsamis scored seven points. 

Graff joined the 1000 points club on a three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining in regulation, giving her 1,002 points in her career. Senior Mia Roy (Bedford, N.H.) added 11 points and five assists and senior captain Taylor McVeigh (Hanson, Mass.) grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and blocked two shots.

The Bobcats look to right the ship Tuesday when they host Colby in NESCAC action at 7pm.