HARTFORD, CT – The Williams women's basketball team won a nail biter today against the Trinity Bantams (9-12, 3-7 NESCAC) in overtime. The Ephs (19-5, 6-4 NESCAC) defeated the Bantams 80-76 in their final regular season match-up.
The two teams swapped hoops and leads for much of the first half. The Bantams took the most decisive lead at six with just under two minutes to play in the opening frame. With the Bantams up three, Jennie Harding hit a jumper for the Ephs to make it 34-33 with 2:37 on the clock. Kaitlin Ciarleglio responded for Trinity, though, with a long ball. Michelle Royals then finished in the paint to take the six-point lead.
Down the other end, though, the Ephs responded.
Grace Rehnquist knocked down a hoop from behind the arc off a pretty pass from
Jill Greenberg.
Danny Rainer stole the ball for Williams, and the play resulted in a bucket from Greenberg. The Ephs went into the locker rooms down 39-38 at the half.
Out of the break, the Ephs and Bantams continued to trade baskets. The Ephs took their first lead of the half just under eight minutes in when Greenberg knocked down a hoop from behind the arc to make it 53-52. Shantel Hanniford responded with a pair of finishes in the paint for the Bantams, but the Ephs held on to the lead with a lay-up apiece from Ellen Cook and Harding and a jumper from Greenberg.
With neither team able take a decisive lead, though, the game came down to the wire. With 2:17 on the clock, Rehnquist finished inside to cut the Bantam lead to 68-67. On the next Trinity possession, Carly Napier went two-for-two from the charity space. Cook responded for the Ephs with a finish in the paint before Ciarleglio added a lay-up for the Bantams to make it 69-72 with 30 seconds to play. The Ephs, however, refused to go away, and Cook hit a three-ball to tie up the game with 23 seconds left on the clock. On the defensive end, Cook then came up with a huge block for the Ephs to send the game into overtime.
The Bantams took the opening lead in the extra period when Napier finished a lay-up to make it 74-72 just under 30 seconds in. The Ephs, however, scored went on an 8-0 run overtime starting with a pair of free throws from Cook. Rehnquist and Harding both finished inside. Cook and Rehnquist then each went one-for-two from the line to cap the run. Ciarleglio finished the day in the charity space for the Bantams where she went two-for-two with six seconds left. The Ephs, however, were able to walk off the court with the hard-fought win.
Ciarleglio led all players today with 23 points. Napier added 20 and Hanniford 12 for the Bantams, who shot 42.0% from the floor.
The Ephs had five players in double digits today with Greenberg leading the way with 21 points. Cook posted a double double for the Ephs with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Harding, Rehnquist, and Lisa Jaris added 14, 12, and 10 points respectively. Harding narrowly missed a double double with nine rebounds. The Ephs shot 40.3% from the field on the day.
Said Coach Manning after the game, "I just thought it was a real gutsy win because Trinity played great, and they just kept attacking us and kept going at us. Both teams played really well – the shooting percentage in the first half for us was 59% and for them 47%. It was a really exciting game."
Added Manning about her scorers, "I thought Jill played a tremendous game – 5 assists, 21 points. Jennie Harding did great as well – 14 points, 9 rebounds, five [of them offensive]. Ellen and Grace really stepped up and made a huge difference. Lisa Jaris had ten points too." She added, "We're a dangerous team when everyone's clicking. We have a lot of weapons, and that's what's really exciting. Nobody shied away from the pressure today; everybody stepped up and made a difference. [It was] just one of those games where I was so proud of their effort."
On Cook's play, Manning commented, "Ellen didn't play like a freshman, that's for sure. She was confident, just stepped up, and never thought about it. Ellen's a really good shooter. [At the end of regulation], we ran a play where you run a shooter to the top; if you don't have that option, you look inside. She never hesitated. She was open, and she took it; it was all in one motion. That was big."
It was not, however, play on the offensive end of the floor that Manning thought did the trick for the Ephs tonight: "Our defense really won the game for us – especially the last eight minutes of regulation and then overtime. We did a better job rebounding. After getting [outplayed] on the boards last night, we really focused on doing that better today. We came up with 48 rebounds – 21 of them offensive boards. That was really how we got the win."
The Ephs' next game will be the quarterfinals of the NESCAC tournament. Official seeds will be announced tomorrow. Regardless, the Ephs will take the court next Saturday.
Said Manning, "I'm just really happy with the 19-5 regular season record; it's just an incredible accomplishment. Right now everybody goes to a 0-0 record, so we're just excited to get a chance at the postseason."
