Box Score MIDDLETOWN, MA — Junior Taylor Epley led all Ephs with 13 points Tuesday nights as the Williams College men's basketball team gutted out a 56-48 victory over Little 3 rival Wesleyan in the Silloway Gym.
Junior Michael Mayer added eight points and 10 rebounds while sophomore Daniel Wohl contributed seven points and 10 rebounds in the win. Sasha Brown led all scorers with 25 points for Wesleyan.
Williams improved to 3-0 on the season and will next play Sunday at home with a 6 p.m. against the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The Cardinals fell to 2-1 on the season.
The Ephs held Wesleyan to just 29.3 percent (17 of 58) from the floor in the win, and only 11.8 percent (2 of 17) from beyond the arc. They also outrebounded the host Cardinals, winning the war ion the glass, 42-36.
"I don't think I've ever been prouder of a Williams team's effort and execution at the defensive end of the court," Ephs head coach Mike Maker said. "I have such great respect for Wesleyan coach Joe Reilly and his team ... for us to get a road win against a very good team like Wesleyan, I could not be more proud of my guys."
Williams took control of the game late in the first half with an 11-0 run over the final 4:27. The Ephs would not trail again, although Wesleyan did cut the deficit to as little as five with just under a minute to play in the contest.
Nate Robertson ignited the decisive run with a short jumper that regained the lead for Williams at 25-24. Following a turnover, Epley drained a three off an assist from Matt McCreary. A defensive stop and rebound by Mayer led to a James Klemm jumper and a 30-24 Eph advantage.
Following two more defensive stops that ended with defensive rebounds from Wohl and Klemm, Sean Hoffmann drained two free throws for a 32-24 lead with 2:10 to go. Epley's two freebies with 29 seconds left in the half accounted for the 10-point Williams lead.
The second half was slow paced, but the Ephs met each Cardinal challenge. Hoffmann's field goal from the paint gave Williams a 37-26 lead. After Brown cut it to eight, Epley hit a three from the top of the key on a kickout by Mayer with 7:40 remaining to up the lead back to 11 at 47-36.
Brown cut the deficit to five with 54 seconds left on a drive and scoop lay-in, but the Ephs were able to hit enough from the foul line in the closing minute to stave off a Wesleyan comeback.
