Box Score Williamstown, MA- Sophomore Amanni Fernandez hit two free throws that broke a 63-63 tie with three seconds left, which would prove to be the deciding two points in Williams' 65-63 victory over the Wesleyan University Cardinals at home on Friday night.
The come from behind win by the Ephs extended their current win streak over Wesleyan to 16.
Five Ephs, including Fernandez, hit double figures in scoring in a game where points were at a premium down the stretch. Wesleyan (7-12/1-6 NESCAC) came into the fourth quarter up by 10 points after putting on a three point shooting display in the third quarter behind junior Danielle Gervacio, who led the Cardinals with 17 points.
Williams (16-5/4-3 NESCAC) trailed through most of the fourth before equalizing and taking the lead with clutch free throw shooting.
The first two quarters of the game proceeded without too much ceremony, though they contained moments that would be repeated throughout the second half as play intensified. Wesleyan got off to a good start on both ends of the floor, but defense was more key to their early success as they forced Williams into seven turnovers in the first quarter. Offensively, Gervacio knocked down her first three pointer of the contest in addition to the four points scored by senior Kaylie Williams that led Wesleyan in the first. Williams countered with the junior duo of Devon Caveney and Lauren McCall, who each scored four points in the first that helped put the Ephs in the lead by four to start the second quarter.
The second quarter continued in much the same fashion with Williams committing another seven turnovers, a rate that was too high for head coach Pat Manning. Point guard Amanni Fernandez, who leads her team in scoring and assists, was at the center of the Ephs' struggle to take care of the ball, committing 12 turnovers over the course of the game. Wesleyan quickly turned their defense into offense, spurred on by the second quarter performance of their bench, which was responsible for eight of the Cardinal's 13 points in the quarter. Caveney and McCall continued to find success offensively, each connecting on a three point attempt in the second.
The third quarter is where action, and Gervacio, began to heat up. First, Williams went up by ten points after a Fernandez three and a McCall layup, a lead that would be matched in magnitude by Wesleyan at the end of the quarter. After the layup, Wesleyan began a 29-9 run that started with Gervacio knocking down another shot from long distance. Soon after, sophomore Maeve Vitale connected on a three of her own that pulled Wesleyan within four. After a three point play from Brenna Diggins and a layup from Williams sophomore Kristin Fechtelkotter, Gervacio hit her second three of the quarter that knotted the game at 39. Vitale and Gervacio hit one more three each before the quarter ended while the Cardinal defense did its job on the other end. Both of those factors helped the Cardinals extend their lead to ten at the end of the quarter.
Williams kept calm as play began in the fourth, letting belief in their abilities guide them in crafting a comeback. Sophomore Kristin Fechtelkotter opened the scoring for the Ephs with a jump shot followed closely by a layup that came off the hands of Fernandez. Fechtelkotter came up big for the Ephs at many points prior to the final stretch, going 6-7 from the field for 13 points in the game. Wesleyan was undeterred by the early Williams momentum, continuing to execute their offense and maintaining their lead.
Williams finally put the score within one possession at the 3:39 mark when Caveney connected on a layup. The teams went back and forth before Williams senior Katie Litman, who scored eight points in the final quarter, hit a jump shot that brought the Ephs within one. Then, Fechtelkotter was sent to the line after Wesleyan committed their fifth foul of the quarter, connecting on one of two to tie the game. Fernandez then came up with a big steal during Wesleyan's next possession, after which she was also fouled and sent to the line with three seconds remaining, where she sealed the win for the Ephs.
Eph head coach Pat Manning had mixed feelings following the game, saying, "We came up big when we had to, but we also put ourselves in a bad position by making some mistakes defensively in the third quarter. As great as it is to come away with the win, we put ourselves in a tight spot by not defending the three well and forcing ourselves into too many turnovers." Manning praised the play of Fechtelkotter as a high point in today's game, noting her versatility and ability to play well down the stretch of a close game.
Williams will next face Connecticut College on senior day at home on Super Bowl Sunday. Conn currently sits in a tie for third in the NESCAC standings while Williams lurks inches behind in a tie for fifth. Playoff implications will be at stake when the tip is thrown up at 2:00 PM, as both teams could move up or down the NESCAC ladder by the end of the ball game. Manning closed her statements by emphasizing ball control as a key aspect of the Ephs' game plan going into a big game against a talented team on Sunday.
