Ephs end four game slide, defeat RPI, 77-58Williams Sports Info
09:09AM / Wednesday, December 03, 2008
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Williams women’s basketball team has been striving for forty minutes of consistent defense all season long, and tonight the Ephs finally accomplished that goal. Using a two-three zone to force tough outside shots from the opposition, Williams (2-4) powered past RPI (5-2), 77-58, to pick up their second win of the season and end a four game skid.
“This was definitely our best defensive effort of the season,” said Ephs head coach Pat Manning. “We felt that our record was not reflective of the type of team we are. In all those games we had a chance to win, and our defense let us. Tonight we were determined not to let that happen.”
Williams jumped out to the early lead, 16-6, nearly six minutes into the opening whistle. Freshman Lisa Jaris came off the bench to score two consecutive lay ups that gave the Ephs their largest first half lead at twelve points with twelve minutes on the clock. They allowed RPI to creep back into first half play though, leading by only four points at the break, 32-28.
The Ephs built off the momentum of their solid defensive sequences and turned up the intensity in the second period. Williams regained a more comfortable twelve-point lead off two three-pointers from Kelsey Ham and Jill Greenberg, and began to settle into an offensive rhythm. The home team was lights out in the second frame, shooting 57.6% from the floor. The Ephs led by as many as twenty-three points, and closed out the Redhawks, 77-58.
Williams kept the opposition to only fifty-eight points, their lowest allowed points total of the season. Their zone defense successfully forced RPI to throw up tough shots, and the Redhawks shot only 29.4% from the floor. Their effort from behind the arc was equally poor, as RPI let off 29 shots from downtown and hit only three.
Whitney Coleman scored a game-high 19 points for the Redhawks. Teammate Elizabeth Barker notched a double-double, tallying 12 points and 14 rebounds. Ellen High chipped in 13 points in the loss.
Mika Peterman led the effort for Williams, netting 18 points. Jill Greenberg scored 14 points, while Kelsey Ham notched twelve. Chessie Jackson was solid on the glass, grabbing 9 boards and scoring 11 points. In her first college start, freshman Ana Rodriguez-Villa contributed 8 rebounds.
The Ephs hope that tonight’s win will put their season on the right path.
“In each of those game we lost, we either had the lead or were tied with about eight minutes or less to play,” commented Manning. “We did not rebound, or have defensive stops at critical moments. We felt it was only a matter of time until we turned things around.”
Williams will travel to play Hamilton on Saturday at 3:00.
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