Box Score CLINTON, NY – Despite allowing 29 points in the first quarter and trailing by as many as 15, the Williams Ephs (6-6, 1-0 NESCAC) defeated the Hamilton Continentals (6-5, 0-1 NESCAC) 69-61 in their first NESCAC matchup of the season.
"This was a real gutsy win," remarked Eph head coach
Pat Manning following the victory. "[Hamilton] couldn't miss in the first quarter, and they were hitting everything, but nobody panicked. Everybody stayed composed, and we just chipped away a little bit at a time."
Forward
Mia Holtze '23 shined off the bench, scoring nine of her team-leading 12 points – all of which came in a row – in the fourth quarter to give the Ephs the lead for good. A Holtze three-pointer gave the Ephs a 55-50 lead with 5:12 to play, and guard
Maggie Meehan '22 hit a layup on Williams next possession to give the Ephs a seven-point lead, their largest of the game.
"[Mia's] a great shooter, and it was great to see her put that together in a game," said Manning on Holtze's fourth-quarter performance. "We needed some separation, and she hit those shots at really key times."
Hamilton threatened to take the lead back, coming as close as one point with just over two minutes to go. But with 14 seconds left and the Ephs leading 65-61, Eph guard
Ryann Taylor '25 stole an inbound pass from Hamilton center-forward Emma Sehring, and subsequently hit both free throws, the first two of six in a row, after being fouled. Taylor's steal and success from the line effectively thwarted the Continentals' fourth quarter rally, as Hamilton didn't score for the rest of the game.
Holtze was one of four Ephs who recorded double-digit points. Forward
Maddy Mandyck '23 once again shined on the boards, grabbing a game-high 19 rebounds in addition to scoring 10 points. Meehan and Taylor each scored 11 points of their own.
"Anytime you have four in double figures, that's a good sign," commented Manning. "We played an unselfish game."
Guard Kelcie Zarle led the Continentals with 23 points, and guard-forward Maria Mercado-Rengel added 16 points on 4 for 7 (57.1%) shooting from beyond the arc. Emma Sehring fell one field goal short of a double-double with eight points and 11 rebounds.
Williams locked down on defense after allowing Hamilton to shoot 13 for 23 (56.5%) from the field in the first quarter, holding Hamilton to just 4 points and a 2 for 15 (13.3%) shooting mark in the second. The Ephs held their own on offense, with eight different Ephs, none of whom recorded more than five points, scoring in the first half. By halftime, Williams had narrowed the deficit to just two at 33-31.
Though Mercado-Rengel started the third quarter with a three-pointer to put the Continentals up five, the Ephs quickly recovered, tying the game on a three-pointer by guard
Devin Biesbrock '23. The two teams alternated leads for the rest of the quarter, and Zarle hit a buzzer-beating jump shut to tie the game up at 46.
After Hamilton center-forward Claire Sehring opened the scoring in the fourth quarter, Holtze caught fire. After making one of two free throws to make it a one-point game, the Eph forward hit a jumper to give the Ephs a 49-48 lead that they wouldn't relinquish for the rest of the game. Holtze then hit a three to extend the lead to four, and after Claire Sehring made another layup, Holtze connected from deep again.
Trailing by seven, the Continentals struck back, as Zarle made a three-pointer followed by a layup to narrow the deficit to two. After Mandyck responded with a jumper, Mercado-Rengel hit a three to make it a one-point game. The Ephs'
Arianna Gerig, however, made a driving layup right as the shot clock expired to turn the momentum back in the Ephs' favor. Gerig made another clutch basket to extend the lead to five with 31.3 seconds left.
Though another three-pointer by Zarle cut the lead to two with 16.9 seconds to play, the Continentals never had another opportunity to tie or win the game after Gerig's second consecutive make.
The two teams shot with similar efficiency from the field, with Williams going 26 for 70 (37.1%) compared to a 26 for 73 (35.6%) mark for Hamilton. Though the Continentals outrebounded the Ephs 24-22 in the first half, Williams secured a 28-18 rebounding advantage in the second. Though Hamilton scored 36 points in the paint compared to just 22 for the Ephs, Williams outscored Hamilton 22-4 off the bench.
"I'm really proud of the team," said Manning. "We just put it together today, and we played under control and with composure. This was a major growth game for us."
Tomorrow at 3PM, the Ephs will continue their weekend road trip against undefeated Amherst (7-0, 0-0 NESCAC).
