West Massachusetts News

Ephs Get To The Line, Take Quarterfinal Against Bates 62-55

Williams (18-7, 9-2 NESCAC) got their first playoff win this afternoon, beating Bates (13-11, 5-6 NESCAC), 62-55. Though both teams made 23 shots throughout the game, the Ephs got to the free throw line early, scoring eight more from the stripe than the Bobcats to take the win.

The Ephs held the lead all game, but the Bobcats had a chance to take it back in the fourth. Though Williams' Mia Holtze started the fourth on fire, sinking jumpers on the Ephs' first and second possessions of the quarter, Bates wouldn't let their playoff run end so easily. 

Starting with a layup at 9:27, Alexandra Long scored ten points in a row for the Bobcats from a variety of spots on the floor. Her tenacity pushed on her teammates, who contributed nine more before the end of the game. The seven point deficit at the end of play was the closest the Bobcats had been since the first quarter. 

The game didn't look so sure at the beginning of play. Bates got the tip and started on a strong note. Meghan Graff— the NESCAC's 2nd leading scorer— came to a jump stop and then launched into a floater for the game's first two points. However, Williams would soon push forward and take the lead. 

The Ephs' scoring started off on the very next possession, as Ryann Taylor drove left to right and used a short hook to put the ball in the hoop. Maddy Mandyck followed this up with two buckets in the lane, giving Williams a 6-2 lead. 

For the next three minutes, the teams stayed neck-and-neck, scoring four apiece. The stalemate was broken in favor of the Ephs largely due to the hustle of Cortland McBarron, who pulled down three offensive boards before finishing through contact for an and-one layup. The Ephs went on to score 21 to Bates 12 in the quarter— they outrebounded the Bobcats, and committed fewer fouls on the way. 

Williams started the second quarter with the same strength. Devin Biesbrock drove left and laid the ball up for two. Arianna Gerig and Maddy Mandyck added points of their own— 4 and 2 respectively. The Bobcats grew more steady as the quarter went on, scoring ten more to the Ephs' eight. At the end of the half, the score stood at 37-23 Williams. A steep deficit, but not unsurmountable. Notably, Meghan Graff had picked up three fouls in the half, a fact that may have curtailed her aggressiveness throughout most of the game. 

The third was neck-and-neck. Graff picked her fourth foul early, but her teammate Alexandra Long picked up the slack, scoring five of the Bobcats' first seven in the quarter. The Ephs kept up, adding five of their own. Still, momentum looked like it might tip in favor of Bates, so Eph head coach Pat Manning called for a 30 second timeout after Long's fifth point. 

Though the Bobcats scored four more points after the timeout, the Ephs regrouped and scored eight more points to finish out the quarter. After both teams had their moments, the deficit still stood at 14. 

Original source can be found here