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Williamstown, MA - 7th-ranked Williams men's
basketball picked up where it left off the night before, riding a
61% shooting effort from the field (60% from three) and 35%
field-goal percentage defense to a 92-62 victory over Bates.
Co-captain Blake Schultz led four Ephs in double figures with 24
points as Williams pushed its record to 14-1 and 2-0 in the
NESCAC.
The team opened the first half with a bang, jumping out to an 11-3
lead just 3:34 into the game on a Harlan Dodson three pointer. The
Bobcats were able to make the score 11-7 with 14 minutes to play in
the half, but the Ephs responded with a 7-2 run to make the score
18-9 with 12:08 remaining.
Williams would not lead by less than 8 the rest of the game, but
Bates stuck around even amidst an Eph offensive onslaught. Williams
led by as many as 16 in the first half after an Alex Rubin three
made the score 32-16 with 6:29 remaining, but the Bobcats were able
to make the score 34-24 with 4:39 to play before the Ephs ended the
half with a 42-30 lead.
Schultz and Rubin led the Eph offense in the first half with 11
and 9 points respectively, while James Wang and Troy Whittington
both scored 8 as the Ephs finished 16-28 from the field in the
half, good for a 57% shooting mark. Schultz grabbed 5 steals in the
first as the Ephs forced 8 turnovers while holding the Bobcats to
40% shooting (12-30) for the half, though Brian Ellis did
significant work to keep Bates in the game, scoring 13 points and
grabbing five rebounds.
As the second half began, it appeared as though the Bobcats might
make it a game, as the Ephs' opponents scored the first 4 points of
the half to make the score 42-34 with 18 minutes to play and cut
the Williams lead to 8. The Eph offense then exploded, going on an
11-4 run over the next 3:36 capped by a Wang three pointer to make
the score 53-38. Then, with the score 57-44 and 12:50 to play,
Williams went on a 13-4 run, again capped by a Wang three pointer,
to make the score 70-48 and put the game almost out out of reach
for the Bobcats with 9:07 to play. The Ephs slowly stretched their
lead over the game's final nine minutes, leading by as many as 32
before the game ended, 92-62.
The Eph offense was even more impressive in the first half than it
was in the second, scoring 50 points on 65% shooting (17-26) and
making an incredible 67% of its threes (8-12). Schultz scored 13
second half points to finish with 24; he also grabbed 5 rebounds
and picked up 2 assists on the day. Wang scored 11 in the second
half to finish with 19 points on the game while picking up 5
assists and 2 boards, and Rubin finished 6-7 from the field and 5-6
from three to finish 18. Whittington added another 7 in the second
half to finish with 15 while also blocking 3 shots for the game,
and co-captain Joe Geoghegan finished the day with 6 points and 11
boards.
Meanwhile, Williams held Bates to 31% shooting in the second half.
Ellis finished the game with 21 points and 6 rebounds, while Nick
Schmieman finished as the only other Bobcat in double figures with
16.
“I am really proud of all our players and our senior class
and the leadership they provide,” said Williams head coach
Mike Maker. He continued, “It is not the success I am proud
of, but the way we are doing it, and I do not mean our margin of
victory. I am speaking about the kind of young men our players are,
and I am proud to be their coach."
Maker's team now awaits a challenging schedule to close the
season, playing seven of its last nine games on the road as well as
its next five straight. “We have had a favorable schedule
thus far with a lot of home games,” said the coach. “We
have a lot of improving to do, with [so many] on the road to end
the year, but we are looking forward to the challenge.
“Right now we want our guys to enjoy the way we have
opened in the NESCAC; to do so well is a wonderful way to build
confidence,” added the coach.
Williams will now take a break from NESCAC play to take on New
Paltz State on the road on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in its first of five
straight road games.
