Box Score WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – Despite holding No. 7 Amherst to 33 percent shooting from the floor in the game and coming back from a 14-point second half deficit to tie the game with 14 second to play, No. 13 Williams men's basketball fell to the visiting Lord Jeffs 67-65 in the teams' Little Three showdown tonight in a packed Chandler Gymnasium. The visitors claimed the victory after Aaron Toomey hit a pair of free throws with four second to play in the game. The Ephs fell to 15-4 on the season with the loss, while the Jeffs improved to 16-2.
Tonight's contest did not count toward the rivals' conference records. The Jeffs now have the inside track to the outright Little Three title, as both Williams and Amherst split the season series with Wesleyan; the teams' showdown on Feb. 10 will determine whether or not the Jeffs win the title outright or all three teams share the title.
Toomey scored 16 points in the game, and was joined by Peter Kaasila and David Waller in double digits with 16 and 14 points, respectively. James Klemm led the Ephs with 13 points, and was joined in double figures by Michael Mayer, who had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Nate Robertson had a strong all-around game for the Ephs with nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
Williams shot 44 percent from the field for the game, but went only 17-26 from the free throw line. Although the Ephs held the Jeffs to 33 percent shooting – including 25.8 percent shooting in the second half – the Jeffs gained several extra opportunities by winning the turnover and offensive rebounding battles. Amherst picked up 13 offensive rebounds to Williams' seven, while the Ephs turned the ball over eight times and the Jeffs only turned it over twice.
Amherst jumped out to a quick lead to start the game as all five Jeff starters made their way into the scorebook, going up by as many as eight, 15-7, when Willie Workman made a three from the right elbow 5:25 into the game. Williams quickly battled back, however, going on a 16-3 run over the next four minutes, highlighted by a driving lay-up from James Wang that saw the Eph slice through three Jeffs in the lane before making a floater a foot from the basket. Wang's bucket gave the Ephs their first lead of the half, making the score 20-18 with 10:40 to play in the half.
A three from Klemm extended the Ephs' lead to 23-18, but the Jeffs then clamped down on defense. The visitors retook the lead, 25-23, when Toomey was fouled on a driving lay-up and made the free throw with 7:51 to play in the half. Two consecutive driving buckets from Jeff Holmes saw the Jeffs extend their lead to six before the Ephs could score again. The Ephs pulled back within one, 29-28, with 5:19 to play after Klemm was fouled on a driving floater and made the free throw, but the Jeffs pulled away again, going up 39-31 going into the break.
The second half saw the Jeffs extend their lead in the early going, as Waller scored five straight coming out of the break to extend the Jeff lead to 13, 44-31,1:10 into the half. The teams then traded scores several times, but the Ephs slowly battled back, and with 11:59 to play, Brian Emerson completed a three-point play on a lay-up and foul off a pass from Robertson that cut the Jeff lead to seven, 53-46. Baskets were hard to come by over the next five minutes, as the teams only made one field goal before Robertson made a lay-up with 4:38 to play to make the score 55-52 in favor of the Jeffs. Williams continued to battle, but the Jeffs were able to trade baskets with the Ephs over the next four minutes – until a three from Klemm with 1:07 to play made the score 65-64.
The Ephs got a stop on the Jeffs' ensuing possession, and Taylor Epley was fouled with 14 seconds to play on a drive. Epley hit one of two free throws to the game, before Toomey was fouled on a drive with four seconds to play. The Jeff hit both free throws to give his team the 67-65 victory.
"No one play in the last minute won or lost the game," Williams head coach Mike Maker said. "It's a 40 minute game. I am really proud of our guys. I don't think we can paly any harder than we played … They're a very very talented basketball team... It was certainly a slugfest, with two proud programs going toe to toe … Our guys didn't quit. We have great kids. I think they represent the program and institution the way it deserves to be represented … We had our opportunities to win, but the ball didn't bounce our way."
Williams will next take on Middlebury on Saturday on the road at 4 p.m. The Jeffs will face Trinity on the road at 4 p.m.
