Williamstown, Mass - In the second game of the Shooting Touch Tournament, the Williams College Ephs (5-3) matched up against the visiting Clark University Cougars (7-3). The Williams defense led by
Arianna Gerig's 12 Rebounds, 6 Steals, and 3 blocks overwhelmed Clark. With the help of dominant offensive paint play, the Ephs were victorious 71-58.
The well-rested Cougars met the Ephs who were coming off of a back-to-back but to start this game it was Williams out hustling the visitors. The first points came from a transition drive by
Mairi Smith for the and-one. Forward
Arianna Gerig, had three consecutive backcourt steals leading to open lay-ups, 10-2. The Ephs kept the pressure on with Gerig hitting Smith at the top of the key for a three, 13-4.
Logan Coster had her first points with a three-point play coming from a reverse layup, 20-8. Playing both sides of the floor, Coster stuffed a Cougar shot for the Ephs fourth block of the quarter and then drew an offensive foul. The Ephs put on a defensive clinic in the first quarter, with Gerig having 3 blocks and 4 steals, contributing to 8 Cougar turnovers, 24-10 Ephs heading into the second quarter.
The same story continued in the second quarter with first-year point guard
Micah Walton picking off a pass and getting two points. The offense slowed for both teams for the next few minutes but it would be another Walton and Gerig steal to create more easy opportunities, 33-14. Soon after,
Ellie Tounkara had her first points with a wing-three off of
Cortland McBarron's assist, 37-16. In the final few minutes of the quarter, the Clark offense picked up. With the help of two three-pointers and some free throws, they went on a 10-2 run. At the end of the half, Williams led 41-28.
Out of halftime, Clark made offensive adjustments, focusing on spacing and shooting instead of the driving game. The Cougars started with an early three which Tounkara answered on the other end with a triple of her own, 43-31. This quarter became another defensive showcase with
Skylar Chui and Gerig making important hustle plays. Although again it was the three for Clark that kept them alive 47-34. However, the fluid Williams offense kept the ball moving and this led to a gentle mid-range make for Walton, 50-38. Gerig followed this up with an and-one that left the game at 53-40 before the fourth quarter.Â
In the final quarter, Clark looked determined to chip into the lead. Sticking to their outside shooting the Cougars, made a three and used their spacing to create an open inside shot, 55-45. Williams took a timeout and came out of it playing a fullcourt press. Clark was haunted by turnovers in this game, having 25 on the evening, and the pressure from Williams deserves all the credit. On the offensive end, Gerig proved to be the difference, finishing with 24 points. The Williams guards handled the rest of the load with another three from Tounkara and two mid-range jumpers for Walton who was the second-highest scorer for the Ephs with 17. The Williams bench closed the game out and at the end of regulation, the final score was 71-58.
Senior captains
Ellie Tounkara and
Arianna Gerig received All-Tournament team honors for their play in the Shooting Touch Tournament.
On the strong start to the game, Eph head coach
Pat Manning said, "Arianna and Micah set the tone with all those steals early in the game. Our defensive intensity in that first quarter was tremendous. Logan came off the bench and really made a difference. It was a great team win and a great end to the first part of our season before we go down to Florida to play two tough teams."
If you were hoping to catch the Ephs at home you will have to wait until January 6 when they host WPI. However, the next two games for the team will be in Florida in the Cruzin Classic in Fort Lauderdale against Concordia University on December 19th at 2 pm. The Ephs will close out their brief Florida trip with a second game in the Cruzin Classic when they play Gettysburg at 12:30 PM on December 20.
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