| JaQuann Starks led Trinity
with 21 points in 43 minutes in the Bantams' NESCAC
opener. Trinity (Conn.) athletics file photo |
Conference play in the NESCAC opened on Friday night with a gritty win by the Trinity (Conn.) men and an easy win for the Williams women.
Trinity (Conn.) outlasted Williams 71-69 in double overtime on the road. The Bantams opened the second half on a 22-5 run, only to see Williams rally to tie the game when Daniel Wohl scored the final eight points of regulation. Wohl was fouled with four seconds left and the Ephs down one. He made one of two shots, and finished the night 10-for-20 from the free throw line with six misses in the first overtime.
In the second overtime, the Bantams took the lead on Ed Ogundeko's free throw with two minutes left. Wohl's turnaround jumper from inside the paint left rolled off the rim with two seconds left, and Trinity secured the rebound and the win. The Bantams improved to 11-2 while Williams slipped to 9-4, with No. 18 Amherst coming to Williamstown tomorrow.
Bates bested Middlebury 57-53 in a defensive struggle in which the teams shot a combined 33 percent from the field (40-for-122). Graham Safford scored 20 points for the Bobcats including four late free throws to seal the victory. The Panthers' loss leaves four undefeated teams in men's Division III basketball, all of whom play tomorrow.
Another set of Panthers fared better. Birmingham-Southern built a double-digit lead at No. 25 Centre, and withstood the Colonels' rally for a 66-61 victory.
St. John Fisher isn't undefeated, but it is on a roll. The Cardinals defeated Stevens 73-59 to push its record to 11-2, 4-0 in the Empire 8. Optimystik Kinard led St. John Fisher with 16 points. Oswego State shot 66 percent from the floor in the first half at Cortland State and built a 23-point advantage. The Lakers went on to win 81-67 and grab first place in the SUNYAC.
Women's recap
Almost one year to the day that Williams lost its first game of the season against Trinity (Conn.), the Ephs made sure history didn't repeat itself. Williams led the Bantams for all but 50 seconds and cruised to a 71-53 win in its NESCAC opener.
The 15th-ranked Ephs head to No. 3 Amherst on Saturday where the Lord Jeffs have a 104-game winning streak. Amherst added another game to that streak by beating Hamilton, 68-44.
A couple hours before the St. John Fisher men pushed their winning streak to nine, the Stevens women did the same thing. The Ducks beat the Cardinals at St. John Fisher, 70-61. Kaitlyn Astel posted 22 points and 14 rebounds for Stevens.
Ashley Clough posted similar numbers for RPI (24 points, 12 rebounds) and the Engineers beat Union, 75-54.
Kaitlin Mathewson's three-pointer with 1:19 left in overtime was the difference as Lewis and Clark topped Pacific, 57-55. That was the only close game in women's NWC play. No. 10 George Fox, No. 17 Whitworth and No. 25 Puget Sound won their games by 53, 40 and 25 respectively.
Greensboro's game with No. 23 Maryville was postponed because the Scots' campus and surrounding community has been hit hard by the flu.