DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Williams College men's basketball team utilized a balanced attack Saturday afternoon, as six Ephs scored between 9 and 13 points during a 73-71 triumph over Carleton at the Daytona Beach Shootout.
The Ephs (8-2) went 2-0 during the Daytona Beach Shootout, as they defeated Knox, 94-56, on Friday. First-year
EJ Sommers tied a career-high 13 points, while grabbing five rebounds and shooting 4 for 6 from the field. Senior
Hudson Hansen (12 points, 7 rebounds), sophomore
Aidan Yates (13 points, 3 treys), senior
Sammy Cooley (10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 for 3 on treys), junior
Matt DeVine (9 points, 4 for 6 from the field) and sophomore
Jackson Rein (9 points) all played well in the victory.
Leading the way for the Knights (6-5, 3-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) were Josh Engelberg (14 points, 7 rebounds) and Sam Koelling (11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 for 4 on 3-pointers).
An old-fashioned, 3-point play by Omar Kaba with 16:40 remaining in the first half gave Carleton a 13-0 advantage. The Ephs responded with a 16-2 surge, taking a 16-15 lead on a 3-point shot by DeVine with 11:51 on the clock.
Williams went into halftime with a 39-33 lead, and then extended its cushion to 50-35 with 16:23 left in the game on a layup by DeVine. The Knights responded with a 25-9 run, taking the lead for the first time in the second half at 60-59 on a step-back jumper by Engelberg with 6:41 remaining.
During the final seven minutes, there were eight lead changes and one tie. Hansen connected on a layup with 36 seconds left to give the Ephs a 73-68 advantage, as Williams was able to withstand a late push by Carleton to secure the victory.
Williams did a tremendous job taking care of the ball with only six turnovers and the Ephs held a 22-4 lead in points off turnovers. The group also held a 29-7 advantage in bench points.
The Ephs will compete against Worcester State on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 1 p.m. in Chandler Gymnasium.
