WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Sophomore forward
Jackson Rein of the Williams College men's basketball team dropped a game-high 15 points during a 60-53 triumph over Alfred University Sunday afternoon, as the Ephs went 2-0 during the Williams Tipoff Tournament in Chandler Gymnasium.
Rein was named the Most Outstanding Player of the two-day tournament for the Ephs (2-0), as he totaled game highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds, while shooting 5 of 10 on 3-pointers, during an 89-67 win over SUNY Morrisville Saturday afternoon.
"I am proud of the group for finding a way to get two wins in our first opportunities against outside competition," said head coach
Kevin App. "A lot of different student-athletes stepped up and we learned a lot. It is always our first objective of the season to win both games in this tournament and we will celebrate that and keep improving."
Williams received points from 10 different student-athletes Sunday, as first-year
EJ Sommers and junior
Matt DeVine provided a spark off the bench, combining for 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Senior forward
Hudson Hansen pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds, while sophomore
Justin Belcher finished with five points and a game-high five assists off the bench.
Leading the way for Alfred (2-2) were Zion Baitey (12 points, 11 rebounds), Tyler Curran (12 points, 3 of 5 on 3-pointers) and Franlys Valenzuela (7 points, 9 rebounds).
Williams utilized a 20-8 run to take a 28-15 advantage on a layup by Rein with 4:34 remaining in the first half. The Saxons finished strong and trimmed the hosts' lead to 33-28 heading into halftime on back-to-back made free throws by Amoi Charles.
Alfred evened the game at 33-33 by scoring the initial five points of the second half, but the Ephs responded with a 10-0 surge, taking a 43-33 lead on a layup by Sommers. Williams did not allow the Saxons to get closer than six the rest of the way.
The Ephs will compete against Oneonta Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Chandler Gymnasium.
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