WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – In the first game of the 2021 Shooting Touch Classic, the Williams Ephs (3-4) used a strong second half to defeat the Cabrini Cavaliers (2-4) in a 61-41 win.
After falling behind by one point at halftime, the Ephs played inspired basketball in the second half, outscoring the Cavaliers 36-15 in the final two quarters. The Ephs' swarming defense forced the Cavaliers into 24 turnovers, turning them into 22 points. Williams also earned a decisive advantage on the boards, out rebounding Cabrini 50-36, including a 30-17 margin in the second half.
"Things clicked for us a little more today," said Manning after the 20-point win, which followed three losses by a combined seven points. "We've been growing every game, and especially in the second half, we put it together."
Forwards
Maddy Mandyck '23 (13 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks) and
Arianna Gerig '25 (13 points, 11 rebounds) put up double-doubles, and guard
Maggie Meehan scored 12 second-half points and notched three steals. Guard
Kaleisha Towle '25 provided a spark off the bench with six points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
For the Cavaliers, guard/forward Miranda Liebtag led the way with 11 points and eight rebounds, and guard Ashley Tutzauer added eight points and two three-pointers.
The two teams traded blows early, with the Ephs clinging to a narrow lead for most of the first quarter. Williams finished the quarter on a 4-0 run to take a 17-12 lead after ten minutes.
After a Manning timeout following consecutive turnovers on offense early in the second quarter, the Ephs responded by going on a 6-0 run in which they forced four Cabrini turnovers. Cabrini fought right back, however, going on an 8-0 run of their own and holding the Ephs scoreless for the final 5:44 of the half.
The final points of the half came on a three-pointer by Cabrini guard Leila Collazo with 2:36 to go in the half, putting Cabrini up 26-25 at the break and giving the Cavaliers their first lead of the game. The Cavaliers shot much better from deep in the second quarter, going 4 for 6 after going 0 for 8 in the first.
"The momentum shifted to them, especially towards the end of the second quarter," remarked Manning. "We stressed at halftime that we can't have these dips, and that we need consistent effort for the whole 40 minutes."
Manning's halftime speech yielded immediate results, as the Ephs took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Cavaliers 23-8. Meehan, who had been held without a point in the first half, caught fire on both offense and defense with nine points and two steals in the third quarter alone.
"We need her to do that," said Manning when asked about Meehan's ability to take over a game. "We know what she's capable of, and she showed that to us in the third quarter."
The Ephs continued their strong play in the fourth quarter, extending their lead to as many as 22 points and never letting the Cavaliers get within less than 14. The 20-point margin of victory was the second largest for the Ephs this season, behind a 46-point win over MCLA on November 14
th.
Manning emphasized improvement on defense as a key reason why the Ephs came away with the victory. "When we watched film of those really close losses, we knew that there was so much that we could improve on that was out of our control, and most of that was on the defensive end. We still have work to do, but we made a giant leap today."
The Ephs will play their second and final game of the Shooting Touch Classic against Babson tomorrow at 3pm.
