Box Score WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – The Ephs (0-0 NESCAC, 2-0) took on Plattsburgh State University this afternoon in an out-of-conference matchup, and beat the Cardinals by a score of 72-53 to finish off their Tip-Off Tournament with two wins under their belts.
Plattsburgh won the tip off but the Cardinals were unable to capitalize on their first possession. Play remained scoreless until the 17:34 mark when Williams' Kellie MacDonald sunk both of her foul shots to put Williams on the board. MacDonald followed that up with a layup and then another a few possessions later to keep Williams in control. Plattsburgh would finally break up Williams' run at the 14:30 mark with a layup. The two teams would trade points until Williams'' Devon Cavemen sunk a three to widen the Ephs' berth, and teammate Cook followed that up with her own bank-shot three-pointer.
With the score at 14-5, Williams did not let up. Freshman Lauren McCall sunk a field goal to put the score at 16-5. Although Plattsburgh would battle back with a pair of free throws, Williams continued to move the ball well and capitalize on open shots. With just under ten minutes left in the half, Williams had stretched their lead to thirteen points. McCall scored her seventh point of the game on a three point shot to bring Williams' lead to sixteen. Plattsburgh responded with a three pointer from Brittany Marshall, and they tried to use this momentum along with an aggressive defense to mount a comeback effort. "We knew going into the game that Plattsburgh is a very fit, athletic team," said coach Pat Manning. "We wanted to disrupt their running game, knowing how explosive they can be."
However, Williams remained consistent on both defense and offense, blocking Plattsburgh's shots while managing to sink their own. Plattsburgh kept fighting, stealing the ball for a fast break with just a little under four minutes left in the half. The Cardinals pushed for another fast break just thirty seconds later but lost possession. A series of turnovers by Williams at around the two-minute mark kept Plattsburgh on offense, allowing the Cardinals to sing a three-pointer from the top of the key.
Only 35 seconds remained in the half when Plattsburgh's Kathleen Payne found herself on the foul line. She made both shots to bring the score to 32-19, and shortly thereafter completed a layup to finish off a fast break to end the half. The half ended at 32-21 in Williams' favor.
Williams started off the second half with a quick three pointer from Jane Thompson, and a give and go between Cook and MacDonald on the next possession. "We had a lull at the end of the first half," said Manning. "I was proud to see us get smarter with our shot selection early into the second half." Cook would go on to score a three-pointer to bring the Ephs' lead to almost twenty points.
Plattsburgh's Devona Paul made a steal and then a series of offensive rebounds to make it to the line for a pair of fouls shots. She sunk both, bringing her team to within sixteen of their opponent. Williams extended their lead with a three pointer from Jane Thompson and maintained it with a decisive defensive stop on Plattsburgh's next run down court. The Ephs eventually brought their lead to over twenty points with a layup from McCall at the 14 minute mark.
Despite their lead, the Ephs did not let up, pressuring Plattsburgh on defense and shooting well from outside the three-point arc. However, Plattsburgh's Stephanie Linder was able to make a steal with just less than ten minutes left in the game, and the Cardinals used that possession to draw a foul. Misha Green not only sunk her layup, but also her foul shot to bring the Cardinals within 27 of the Ephs. Plattsburgh continued to up the pressure on defense, double-teaming to trap their opponents before sagging back into a zone. The pressure paid off, as Jax Miller used a possession to drain a three pointer at the 8 minute mark. Teammate, Payne, followed up with a pair of foul shots to bring the score to 62-39.
Both teams continued to hustle and find the hoop, scoring to bring the game to 64-44 in Williams' favor with just under six minutes to play. Williams would not extend their lead much past twenty points for the remainder of the half, as Plattsburgh matched them shot for shot. The game would finish at 71-53, giving Williams their second win of the weekend.
When asked about her team's performance this weekend, Manning said, "What I love about this team is we've stressed the importance of our defense and we're working on making our offense grow out of our pressure defensively. We've been practicing on different courts all week, and that can sometimes rattle a young squad like the one we have this year. I'm very proud of how the team responded to those changeups." Looking forward to the rest of the season, Manning says her team will be working on smoothing out their execution to take on the game-heavy season they have ahead of them.
The Ephs next take on Bridgewater St. at home on Tuesday at 7 P.M.
