Colby Women's Basketball Defeats Williams 74-68

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams women's basketball (16-5, 5-1 in NESCAC) suffered their first conference loss of the season, and their first loss since Jan. 9, versus Colby (17-3, 4-2) on Friday. The Ephs trailed in the first half before coming from behind to challenge the Mules in the latter 20 minutes. Colby proved to be too strong a presence on the boards for Williams as the Mules took the win in overtime, 74-68.

Points were tough to come by in the first half for Williams, as the Ephs shot just 31.4 percent from the floor. Numbers were even worse from behind the arc. Williams attempted 13 3-point shots, but were successful on only two attempts. Neither team could score early though, as Colby took their first lead at 6-4 with 16:04 left on the clock.

The Mules built their lead up to eight points, leading 20-12 with 8:32 remaining in the half. Williams junior Chessie Jackson scored the only two 3-pointers on back-to-back offensive possessions to bring the home squad back within two points at 22-20 with five minutes left to play. Colby would pull ahead in the final minutes to bring the first half count to 31-24.

The height of Colby's inside players hurt Williams early on. With five Mules listed above six-feet on the roster, the Ephs faced a disadvantage in the paint, and Colby out rebounded Williams 26-17 in the first 20 minutes of play. The visiting team finished the game with a 10-rebound advantage on the offensive end, allowing the Mules to score second-chance baskets that hurt the Ephs late in the game.

Colby's Samantha Allen nailed a 3-point shot to bring the Mules to their largest advantage of the game at ten, 34-24. Williams seemed to wake up after the basket, upping the defensive intensity inside and surging on the offensive end. Jill Greenberg began to attack the basket and scored six points within a minute and a half span to narrow the deficit to three at 40-37 with 14:53 left in regulation. Clare Baecher and Jennie Harding scored a bucket a piece to tie the game at 46-46 just two minutes later. The Ephs grabbed the lead for the first time since the early minutes of the first half off a Jen Borderud pull-up jumper, going ahead by two points at 48-46.

Williams mounted a 54-47 lead, their largest advantage of the game. Colby responded quickly with six unanswered points, and regained the lead at 57-56 with 1:08 on the clock. Kelsey Ham drained a clutch shot for the Ephs behind the arc with 47 seconds left to give the Ephs a two-point lead in the final minute. The Mules fouled Jackson with 20 seconds left, but Jackson could not connect on the one-and-one at the line. On the Mules final possession in regulation Alison Cappelloni drove in the lane and missed a shot. Rachael Mack grabbed the offensive board, missed the put back, and grabbed another rebound. This time Mack would not miss, and scored to tie the game with .4 seconds to send the game into overtime.

"In the first half, we had no flow offensively or defensively," said Williams' head coach Pat Manning.

"We were all over the place, and were not making good decisions. In the second half, we were much better on both ends of the floor. The bottom line is we just got killed on the boards. When we took control in the second half we should have closed it out by crashing the boards but we did not. They were tougher on the boards when it counted."

Overtime remained close throughout. Both teams traded baskets, and neither could extend a lead past two. With 1:56 left in overtime, Mack made two free throws to grab a three-point lead for the Mules. Colby would have a four-point lead with just under a minute to play.  On the next Ephs possession, Jackson attempted a three-point shot. Baecher tipped in the miss to bring the score to 70-68 with 13 seconds left. Allen hit her two free throws for Colby, and the Ephs would turn the ball over on their final possession.

"In overtime, I felt like we rushed things," commented Manning. "We reverted to the play of the first half, and it was us just not doing a good job on the boards again."

Jackson scored a game-high 20 points. Greenberg followed with 14 points, while Jaris added 10 points. Claire Baecher scored seven, grabbed nine boards, and had seven blocks.

Mack led the way for Colby with 15 points and seven boards. Three other Mules scored in double figures with Aarika Ritchie scoring 14 points, Allen scoring 11, and Jill Vaughan adding 10 points.

Williamstown Board Opts to Negotiate with College on Water St. Lot

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:04AM / Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Newly elected board member Nate Budington, far left, participates in his first in-person meeting along with, from left, Matt Neely, Stephanie Boyd, Peter Beck, Shana Dixon and Town Manager Robert Menicocci.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday decided to enter into negotiations with Williams College on the sale of the vacant town-owned lot at 59 Water St.

 

But the board members made it clear that the college's proposal to acquire the lot is a starting point, not a final deal that the elected officials would accept.

 

"For the sake of continued conversation, I'm in favor of [awarding Williams the site], but if this process wasn't continued with the opportunity for further negotiation, I wouldn't vote to continue this," Peter Beck said. "I think that next step is necessary for us to get to a yes on this."

 

"I think there's wide agreement on that," Matthew Neely said just before the 5-0 vote to enter talks with the college.

 

Williams was the sole respondent to a town-issued request for proposals to develop the former town garage site, currently a dirt lot.

 

The college's stated intent is to build a new Facilities office and create up to 170 parking spaces at 59 Water Street. That use will allow the college to redevelop the current Facilities building site and parking lot as part of a reconception of the school's indoor athletic and recreation facilities.

 

Under the terms of the RFP, the college's proposal was subjected to review by an ad hoc advisory committee to the town manager, who brought the question to the Select Board. That board will have the final say on any purchase and sales agreement.