WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - The Williams College men's basketball team fought back from an early deficit but could not get back ahead of Wesleyan University in the NESCAC opener for both teams on Friday night at Chandler Gymnasium.
The Ephs outscored the Cardinals 56-44 in an exciting second half, but a big early lead for the visitors proved too much to overcome.
Hudson Hansen had 20 points and Solomon Marshall had 18 off the bench, going 6-for-8 from the field including 4-for-4 from distance. Marshall played just 14 minutes but made a big impact, especially in the second half as the Ephs pushed to get back into the game. The first-year, whose previous best in points in a game was three, scored 12 in the second half alone, and added four rebounds to his stat line.
The game was close early and was tied 8-8 with 12:33 remaining in the first half, but the Cardinals scored the next 19 points and went into the half with a 25 point lead. Wesleyan maintained the advantage for most of the second half before the Ephs came on strong late, ultimately pulling within eight points with 49 seconds left. However, Wesleyan broke the press and hit free throws to keep the lead in the final seconds.
It was the NESCAC opener for both teams, who played another close game in early December in a matchup that did not count in the league standings. The Ephs will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when they host the top-ranked Trinity Bantams at 3 p.m.
