Ephs Down Bates 71-48 in NESCAC Semis
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams men's basketball continued its run of dominating play against Bates on Saturday afternoon in the NESCAC semifinals, dropping the Bobcats 71-48 in Chandler Gymnasium. The Ephs, who are currently ranked No. 2 in the country, now stand at 25-1 on the season and have won 16 straight games. Bates ended the season with a 14-12 record.
Williams shot their lowest percentage of the season on threes, going only 1-14 for 7 percent shooting, but made up for it with stellar defense and strong work inside, as the team scored 48 points in the paint. The Ephs finished the game with 50 percent shooting from the field while managing to hold the Bobcats to 35.5 percent.
James Wang and Blake Schultz led the way for Williams, as Wang finished with 20 points on 9-13 shooting, six rebounds, and six assists, and Schultz scored 15 points to go along with five rebounds and four steals. Wang was particularly lethal going to the hole, as the Eph point guard scored each of his nine field goals in the lane. Wang and Schultz were the only Ephs in double figures, but the center tandem of Troy Whittington and Joe Geoghegan combined for 17 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Brian Ellis and Alex Gallant were the only Bobcats in double figures, with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Ellis also led the way for the Bobcats on the boards with seven rebounds.
Bates stayed close to Williams throughout the first half, though the Ephs never trailed in the game. Wang and Schultz combined to score or assist on the first 19 points for Williams, and the Ephs managed to open up a 19-11 lead with 9:47 to play in the half. The Ephs twice opened up an 11-point lead, first when a free throw by Harlan Dodson made the score 24-13 with 6:29 to play, then when Wang drove through the Bobcat defense for a layup to make the score 32-21 with 1:52 remaining. The Bobcats then scored on their final possession to make the score 32-23 headed into the break.
As the second half began, it looked as though Bates might challenge Williams, with the Bobcats opening the half on an 8-4 run to cut the Eph lead to five, 36-31, 3:39 into the half. Williams still led by five, 42-37, with 12:31 to play in the half – then the Ephs made their run. Williams scored 11 straight points to open up a 53-37 lead, and the Eph run didn't stop Wang scored his final points on a layup to make the score 69-44 with 4:04 to play. All Eph starters then left the game, and Williams ultimately claimed the victory by the 23-point margin.
"We won today because of our toughness, determination, and our will," said Eph head coach Mike Maker. "That was the difference in the second half. We have talented players that don't get enough credit for their defense."
"We can win in a variety of ways." Maker continued. "We don't have to just shoot threes, and we don’t always have to play an aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball. Bates chose to take away the three-point shot, so we chose to drive and feed the ball inside. Ultimately, though, we won because of our defense today.”
Williams will now take on Middlebury in the NESCAC championship finals Sunday at noon, as the Panthers knocked off the Colby Mules in the second of today's games, 65-48. Williams played Middlebury last on Jan. 29 in Middlebury, defeating the Panthers 79-64. The matchup will pit the best offensive team in the NESCAC in Williams against the best defensive team in the NESCAC in Middlebury. The Ephs score 86 points per game on 53 percent shooting, while the Panthers hold their opponents to only 60 points per game and 36 percent shooting.
"We have great respect for Middlebury," said Maker. "I think what stands out the most with Middlebury is how good they are defensively and their size. I think [Middlebury head coach Jeff] Brown has done an unbelievable job in his tenure at Middlebury. They have tough kids, they do it the right way, they're classy, they're a good basketball team especially defensively, they're well balanced, and they can hurt you a lot of ways. It will definitely be a challenge."
