Williams Defeats Hamilton 69-52

Williamstown, MA- The Williams College Ephs (12-5, 2-3 NESCAC) got a much needed conference win against the Hamilton Continentals (7-9, 1-4 NESCAC) by a score of 69-52. The game was defined by two runs, one from Hamilton during the second quarter that kept them in the game, and the other from Williams in the third quarter that gave them the cushion they needed for the double-digit victory. Williams had four starters in double figures led by junior Kristin Fechtelkotter, who racked up 15 points and 7 rebounds. Hamilton first year Carly O'Hern led all scorers with 17, scoring 10 in the second quarter alone as part of Hamilton's big run.

Williams benefitted from an extremely productive first quarter on the offensive end. The Williams team only averages 56.4 points per game, the 9th best rate in the NESCAC, but got on the board early scoring 19 points on 8-14 shooting from the field. Fechtelkotter led the way with 6 points in the frame, and the two senior captains, Devon Caveney and Lauren McCall, both chipped in with three pointers that helped the Ephs spread the floor. Williams head coach Pat Manning said about the hot start, "We spent a lot of time this week on our offense because we've been struggling a little, and it definitely paid off. I thought we came out and attacked well and played unselfish basketball."

Hamilton's Mackenzie Aldridge did her best to reel in the Ephs in the first quarter, leading all scorers with 7 points on 3-3 shooting from the field. The Continentals started the second quarter down 19-13, and Williams lengthened that lead to ten in the early minutes of the period after McCall's second three of the night. The Continentals then put together a 14-2 run over a 4:10 stretch, capped off by Carly O'Hern's third three pointer of the game that gave her team a 28-26 lead. O'Hern became the story of the first half during the second quarter, scoring 8 points during the run and 10 in the quarter overall to lead all scorers at the half with 15 points on 6-11 shooting. Williams was able to fight back towards the end of the quarter, taking a 31-30 lead into halftime.

The teams exchanged that one point lead eight times over the first 5:21 of the third quarter before Williams was able to gain some separation. The Ephs shut the door on the Hamilton offense, going on an 13-2 run over the final 4:39 of the quarter to take a 50-40 lead heading into the final frame. McCall chipped in with her third shot from long distance, and the Ephs as a team shot 8-8 from the free throw line during the run.

The Continentals scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to cut the Williams lead in half, but that is as close they would come to the lead for the rest of the game. Williams continued to have success on the offensive end, working hard for high percentage looks and converting their free throw attempts when given the opportunity.

Manning said, "I am really pleased with this effort, I think this is a giant step forward for us. We haven't had too many games with four players in double figures this year, and I think that shows how much of a team effort this was on both ends of the floor. We made great decisions with the ball all game, which is exactly what we've been emphasizing all week."

Both teams were playing to keep their hopes of making the NESCAC tournament alive, as each entered the game with a 1-3 conference record with more tough games ahead of them. Williams will have a test at Middlebury College (12-3, 3-1 NESCAC) on Sunday, and looking further down the road they will face the Tufts University Jumbos, who have been the top ranked team in the nation for the entire season. About the upcoming game with Middlbury, Manning said, "It's going to be another battle, which every NESCAC game is. We're going to take a day to regroup and do the best we can to prepare here but we expect a tough game on Sunday."