MIDDLEBURY, VT. — The Williams College men's basketball team battled throughout but fell short to Middlebury College 76–73, on Saturday afternoon in NESCAC play at Pepin Gymnasium.
With the loss, the Ephs moved to 10–8 overall and 0–5 in conference action, while the Panthers improved to 7–10 and 1–4 in league competition.
Middlebury took a 44–32 lead into halftime after connecting on eight three-pointers in the opening half. Williams responded with a strong second-half effort, outscoring the Panthers 41–32 and briefly taking the lead in the final minutes. Despite the late surge, the Ephs came up just short in the tightly contested road matchup.
Hudson Hansen paced the Ephs with 16 points, shooting efficiently on 6-for-9 from the field and 4-for-6 at the free-throw line, while adding a team-high eight rebounds. Jackson Rein contributed 15 points, including three three-pointers, and hauled in eight rebounds.
Aidan Yates added 12 points with two threes, and Matt DeVine chipped in 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
Off the bench, Onyeraluobu Chibuogwu finished with 8 points and four rebounds, EJ Sommers with 7 points and six rebounds, and Solomon Marshall with two points, to combine for 17 points off the Eph bench.
As a team, Williams shot 47.5% from the field and knocked down 6 of 22 (27.3%) from three-point range, while going 11-for-17 at the free-throw line. The Ephs battled on the boards with 40 total rebounds and produced 10 points off turnovers in the effort.
The Panthers were led by Kuba Cwalina, who posted 16 points, and Ian Murrary, who added 13 points. Middlebury shot 46.4% from the field and hit 12-27 behind the three-point line.
Williams will look to regroup as they return home on Tuesday, January 27th as they take on SUNY-Delhi in a non-conference matchup at 7 p.m.
