WATERVILLE, ME -- Rachael Mack scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds Saturday afternoon to help Colby College send the Williams College women's basketball team to its second straight defeat via a 85-71 score at the Wadsworth Gymnasium.
Williams, who was led by Claire Baecher's 17 points and six rebounds, fell to 19-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play. The Ephs will host Trinity Friday night at 8. Colby improved to 17-4 overall and 5-2 in NESCAC action.
"We lost the game on the defensive end of the floor, you can't give up 85 points and win in this conference," said Ephs' head coach Pat Manning. "Colby outplayed us in every aspect of the game today. To have a letdown on such a crucial day is frustrating."
Jules Kowalski added 15 points and 11 rebounds for Colby, while Diana Manduca scored 18 and Aarika Ritchie added 17. Jennie Harding (12), Jill Greenberg (11) and Chessie Jackson (10) all reached double figure points for Williams.
Williams trailed by five at halftime but a hot-shooting Colby team extended its lead to double digits in the opening minutes of the second half. A field goal by Mack followed by a putback by Mack got Williams worried about the Mules inside the paint right away, and Aarika Ritchie and Karlyn Adler hit threes, Adler's second coming with 11:08 to go to make it 68-48 Colby.
Amazingly, the Ephs fought back, slowing down Colby defensively and cutting the deficit to six with 3:04 to go on a pair of Jennie Harding free throws. The Mules proved stubborn however, clinching the game from the free throw line down the stretch.
The first half was a tightly fought contest for the first 10 minutes, followed by a Colby run that allowed them to build a 12-point lead at one time, followed by a Williams run that cut the deficit down to one. Another Colby spurt allowed them to up by eight before Greenberg drained a long three at at the halftime buzzer to make it 44-39.
Colby shot 55 percent (17 of 31) from the floor in the first half, including going 4 for 4 from beyond the three-point arc, all four treys coming from Manduca, who led all scorers with 14 over the first 20 minutes.
Baecher led Williams with 10 points in the first half, while Jackson checked in with eight.
