Williamstown, MA.— Though WPI (9-3, 0-0, NEWMAC) tied the game up in the fourth, the Ephs (9-4, 0-0, NESCAC) kept steady, holding the Engineers to just five more in the quarter while scoring ten themselves, ending the game 58-53.
After WPI topped off an 8-0 fourth quarter run with a three, the score was 48-48. Williams found themselves facing a familiar bind. "We were ahead in the fourth quarter in about eight games last year. When the score would even up we would go back on our heels. But this year we didn't. This year we fought back," said head coach
Pat Manning following the game.
And fight back the Ephs did. Immediately after the three, Williams went hard the other way, and
Maddy Mandyck was able to score two in the paint. Coach Manning took a 30, and after the timeout, strong, careful offense brought the Ephs the rest of the way. They scored off two extra passes, an offensive rebound, and from the free throw line. The Engineers weren't able to keep their pressure on, and the lead had grown to five by the end of the game.
The Ephs won the tip, and immediately the Engineers demonstrated the physical defense they would play all night, sticking to Williams players even past the three point line. Though the Ephs' first attempt was no good, a quick steal and pass from
Cortland McBarron put the ball in
Ryann Taylor's hands, who created separation with a crossover and finished for two.
The teams stayed neck and neck for most of the quarter, with the score at 12-11 Williams with about 2:30 to play, but aggressive drives from
Arianna Gerig led to four straight made free throws. Though the Engineers scored one more from the line, Mandyck topped off the quarter with two more, pushing the lead to six.
Williams went on a 9-5 run to start the second, topped off by a jumper for
Ryann Taylor to send her into double figures and the lead into double figures as well, 27-17. WPI would go on a run of their own though, scoring seven points to end the half.
Despite equal turnovers (3) and makes (4) for both teams in the second, the Engineers were able to take the quarter by making one more three and two more free throws than the Ephs. The score at the half was 27-24.
WPI brought it even closer with one more layup after the break, but the Ephs would then go on a 9-0 run to begin the second half, and keep ahead with plenty of scoring to match the Engineers' few baskets. WPI did their best to keep the game competitive, scoring five in the final minute and ten seconds of play.
In the fourth quarter, the Engineers kept up the competition as they blazed through their 8-0 run, but the Ephs held strong and won 58-53.
Following the game, Coach Manning said: "We've made giant steps. This is a game that we wouldn't have pulled out last year. We have a lot of sophomores out there, and their growth has been amazing. We also have good senior leadership. I feel like everyone stepped up today, but it started at Wesleyan— the last game of the semester— and then we went to Florida and our good play continued. So we just feel like things are starting to click."
Ryann Taylor was the game's scoring leader with 21 points— a career high. Manning commented on her and the other guards' effort throughout the game. "Ryann was being the player we know she can be, and she was doing it on both ends of the floor too. WPI is a really experienced team, and they do a lot of different things, but our defense took them out of their rhythm a bit. Our guards had to play in the paint more than they're used to. I thought Ryann did a great job, Devin did a great job, and Cortland did a great job, taking them away in the paint, because their guards all like to post up. It was a big growth game for us."
When asked what she still wanted to work on going into NESCAC play, Coach Manning said "Rebounding. We gave up too many O-boards today. I think we gave up 18, we can't do that. We worked so hard, and then there were times where there'd be a second on the shot clock and we'd foul. It's little things like that. We are definitely still a work in progress, and looking to get better, but our defense is always an area of emphasis."
The Ephs will start conference play at 7PM on Friday with a game vs. #6 ranked Amherst, then they'll play Hamilton at 3PM on Saturday. Both games will take place at home in Chandler Gym.
