West Massachusetts News

Ephs Make It Rain in 86-46 Win Over Connecticut College to Secure #1 Seed in NESCAC Tournament

 Riding the bus to Connecticut on Super Bowl Sunday for the final conference game of the season, the Ephs (21-3, 7-3 NESCAC) knew their two potential outcomes: win and clinch the #1 seed in the conference, or lose and play against Middlebury on the road as the #6 seed. Taking no chances, the Ephs jumped out to a 33-6 lead over the Connecticut College Camels (14-10, 5-5 NESCAC) and took a 28-point advantage into the locker room. Maintaining their assertive efforts on both ends of the court despite the score, the visiting Ephs shot 9-13 from deep in the second half to finish 20-33 (61%) from downtown on the afternoon.
 
"This was a very unique week with just one game on a Sunday," Eph head coach Kevin App reflected. "One of our goals each year is to get a home NESCAC game, and we executed today. I thought it was our best game of the year in terms of defensive intensity and that carried into shooting the ball really well on the offensive end. Conn has played everybody hard this season and they do a phenomenal job. We knew we had to play well, and our guys stepped up."
 
The Camels' signature zone defense was sure to provide a challenge for the Ephs, but they made solid adjustments to their offense in preparation for the matchup. Consistently finding open players, the Ephs made passes to the gaps to maximize their shooting efficiency. 
 
Spencer Spivy led the Ephs in scoring with 21 points after hitting 6-8 attempts from long range, while Declan Porter had an equally impressive outing with 18 points on 6-9 shooting.
 
"The games we've shot the best, the ball is moving and we're in rhythm," App continued. "After the first good looks went in, some of the more difficult ones dropped in the second half. We knew if we shared the ball and kept the spacing against the zone, good things would happen. My fear was actually that we were going to pass too much — we tried to hammer home this week to be ready to shoot on the catch. If you shoot it, you're doing your job against the zone. They enjoyed it and they did it."
 
The first five Williams field goals of the game were all three-pointers. Four different players were responsible for the first four, before Porter hit his second of the afternoon. 
 
The Camels also began with a long ball, but their first make of the game was sandwiched between one trey from Cole Prowitt-Smith and another from Porter. 
 
The Ephs forced an airball from the Camels as the shot clock expired on their opening possession, and Spivy swatted away an attempt on the next offensive possession. A three-pointer from Nate Karren put the Ephs up four, and he subsequently rejected a shot attempt on the defensive end. After Spivy made a three-pointer to go up eight, Porter's aforementioned second trey of the game made the score 17-5 with 12:27 left in the period.
 
Quick passes were key to beating the zone on Sunday. Karren and Hudson Hansen showed just how in exemplary fashion, making several reads to each other before Karren found the first year for a reverse layup on the run for the 10th Eph point a row.
 
A free throw from the Camels halted the 10-0 run, but Spivy and Karren splashed in back-to-back three-pointers for a 25-6 Williams advantage with 7:54 to go in the first half.
 
The smart, patient play continued for Williams on both ends of the floor, as Spivy and Porter continued their hot shooting to go up 33-6. The Camels made their first shot from the floor since the fourth minute of the game, but Alex Lee was undeterred as his three-pointer increased the Williams run to 32-3. 
 
While it may have appeared as if the Ephs were making everything, their offensive production was a direct result of the shots they were taking. Throughout the half, not more than a half dozen shots were highly contested. In fact, the Camels did quite well when they were able to contest, blocking three shots in the opening 20 minutes. 
 
Evan Glatzer found himself alone on the corner in the final 30 seconds of the half and buried a deep ball to send the Ephs into the break ahead 41-13. Williams went 11-20 from deep in the half, but their defense was more remarkable — they held Connecticut College to 5-26 shooting.
 
"The last three league games, we were reminded that we're at our best when our defensive intensity is high. After a couple losses, we had to earn that trust back that if you play aggressively on defense, you're not going to get burned because everyone else is playing hard. We've gotten back to it, and it gave us confidence and rhythm today."
 
The Ephs had no intention of taking their foot off the gas in the second half. Porter nailed a long ball to begin the period, and a subsequent four-point-play from Spivy forced a Camels timeout less than a minute into play. The Eph "Splash Brothers" were a combined 10-14 from deep at the time.
 
Prowitt-Smith secured his second long ball of the day out of the stoppage, before Porter made number five and six on the day for a 59-20 scoreline in favor of the Ephs.
 
The Ephs would hold on for a comfortable win on the road, but they continued to play as if it were a tie game. Locking down on their fundamentals, Spivy came away with a clean steal off of a beautiful defensive read. On the next possession, Spivy's off-the-ball movement set him for a make beyond the perimeter. In another notable defensive stand, Karren registered two consecutive blocks.
 
In the closing minutes, Ben McGraw and Sammy Cooley made spectacular drives to add points for the Ephs. Cooley's crossover dribble was instrumental in clearing out his defender as he bodied his way into the paint for two. Isiaha Dickens, additionally, made his second three-pointer of the season off a beautiful assist from Dan Lee.
 
In their best offensive display of the season, the Ephs shot 29-49 (59%) from the field. In addition to Spivy and Porter's strong performances, Prowitt-Smith and Karren added 13 points apiece on 4-5 and 5-7 shooting, respectively.
 
The Ephs will lock in at practice in preparation for a NESCAC Quarterfinal matchup against Trinity. Fans can savor a day full of basketball by attending the women's game at 2pm against Bates, before the men take on Trinity at 4:30pm.
 
"We're going to come out and compete. We'll enjoy this one and look forward to a double-header with the women on our home court." 

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