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Williamstown, MA - In a display of offensive
firepower, Williams men's basketball outgunned Colby-Sawyer,
101-88, to win the Purple and Gold Invitational title and move to
11-1 on the season. The Ephs were able to overcome 33 points from
Jon Chaloux and 50% shooting from the field from the Chargers with
an impressive 59% shooting effort from the field and a 36-41 (88%)
effort from the line. Leading Eph-scorer Blake Schultz scored more
than 20 for the first time in four games as he poured in 30 points
on the game and earned tournament MVP honors.
Neither team was able to seize control for much of the first, as
no team led by more than 4 points for the first 16 minutes of the
half. However, after a Chaloux lay up with 3:48 to play made the
score 37-35 in favor of Williams, the Ephs pushed into high gear on
the defensive end and took control of the game; Williams outscored
Colby 10-2 over the last 3:30 of the half to enter half time with a
47-39 lead.
The Ephs shot 54% from the field and went 14-15 from the line in
the first, while the Chargers shot 48% from the floor and made 5-6
free throws. The Ephs scoring was very balanced in the first; 9 of
14 first half field goals were assisted as eight players scored
four or more points, with Schultz scoring 9 and Alex Rubin scoring
8 to lead the way. Chaloux scored 14 in the first for the Chargers,
and Jason Chevrefils added 9.
The second half brought an even more impressive offensive
display from both sides, as Williams put up 54 points on 65%
shooting and Colby scored 49 on 53% shooting. The Ephs stretched
their lead to as many as 16 in the half, going up 87-61 with 5:42
left to play before the Chargers fought back behind a slew of
threes. The score was 93-85 with 1:35 remaining when the Chargers
started fouling in an effort to extend the game; they came as close
as seven points, but the Ephs closed the game out behind excellent
free-throw shooting.
James Wang and Schultz were the keys to the Eph offense in the
second twenty minutes, combining to score 40 of 53 Williams second
half points as Wang scored 19 on 6-8 shooting to finish with a
total of 23 on the day and Schultz scored 21 while going 5-6 from
the field and a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line. Rubin was
the only other Eph in double digits on the game, finishing with 15
points and going 4-5 from the field; along with Schultz, he was
named to the All-Tournament team.
Chaloux went 13-20 from the field and hit 5 threes in the game
to finish with 33, while also leading the Chargers in rebounding
with 5, and was named to the All-Tournament team. Chevrefils
finished the day with 14, and David Rosso scored 13 second-half
points and 15 points total on the game.
"I am pleased with where we are," said Head Coach Mike Maker.
"Our senior leadership was absolutely outstanding. I thought both
teams had difficulty guarding one another. The offensive efficiency
was very apparent. We beat a good basketball team today - they are
tough and very well coached. Make no mistake, this is one of the
better wins we have had in Chandler Gymnasium. It's gratifying to
be 11-1 with our archrival [Amherst] coming up on Saturday."
"It's a team game," he continued when asked about the
performances of Schultz and Wang.
"We've had many contributions from a lot of players, but both
[Blake and James] are difficult to guard because they can get their
own shot, as can Chaloux ... they are three of the premier players
in New England, and they showed it tonight."
While Maker was pleased with the win in general, he thought that
the Ephs needed significant improvement on the defensive end. "We
are going to need to get better on the defensive end if we are
going to have the kind of year we want," he said. "We are going to
need a lot of improvement defensively. I think offensively
certainly we have been able to generate good opportunities and
score lots of points. The challenge for us is going to be
collectively can we defend with intelligence and passion and a
commitment to owning the glass."
The Ephs will now take on archrival Amherst on Saturday at 4
p.m. in Chandler Gymnasium in a game that will not count toward the
NESCAC standings but will nevertheless lead to a packed gym.
"We are going to take tomorrow off, because we have had 10
straight days together," said Maker. "As always, we are looking
forward to the opportunity to play them. They are very talented and
well coached, and it will be a great environment. We are looking
forward to the challenge, and we have a lot of work to do in order
to prepare for a very very good basketball team."
All Tournament Team
Blake Schultz, G, Williams, Tournament MVP - 19.5 ppg, 3 rpg, 3
apg
Alex Rubin, G, Williams - 15 ppg, 73% shooting, 3.5 3pg
Jon Chaloux, F, Colby-Sawyer - 22.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 bpg
Maurice Horton, G/F, Worcseter State - 27 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 10 apg
Cortez Issac, G, Southern Maine - 23.5 ppg
