Classic for the way the players on both teams never gave up for two twenty-minute halves and a five-minute overtime.
Classic for the way the #1 and #3 teams in the nation traded baskets and runs in front of a record-breaking crowd at Chandler Gym.
Classic for the way the fans represented their schools.
And, classic because Williams came out on top 84-80 after trailing by as many as 14 in the second half.
But, classic doesn’t begin to describe Tucker Kain’s three-pointer from the top of the key with just four seconds remaining in regulation that sent the game into overtime.
“We’ve got a group of guys who aren’t going to give up,” said Kain who took over the game after hitting the game tying three. The junior sharpshooter scored 13 of his game-high 29 points in the extra period and iced the game with a free throw with seven seconds remaining.
Eph head coach Dave Paulsen, whose team improved to 15-1 overall (3-0 NESCAC), credited both Kain and junior Jaris Cole for their performances.
“[Tucker] Kain came through with some unbelievable shots,” he said. “And, I thought Jaris Cole did an excellent job penetrating when we were really struggling offensively.”
Paulsen also credited all of his players for keeping their poise despite not regaining the lead until overtime.
“They are pretty darn resilient in terms of handling adversity,” he said. “It was a gritty, gutty performance by a lot of guys.”
After staying with the Lord Jeffs in the early goings, the Williams offense slowed to a lull for the remainder of the first half and Amherst took a 33-22 lead into the break.
Though they never led in the second half, the Ephs didn’t panic. With defensive pressure all over Michael Crotty, Cole took control of the ball and he along with senior Ben Coffin put the Ephs in position for Kain’s heroics.
Cole scored nine of his 16 points in the second half, including two crucial baskets with under two minutes remaining. Coffin’s presence loomed larger on the glass than it did in the scoring column, but the senior tri-captain managed to notch a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
Coffin now needs just eight rebounds to become the all-time leading rebounder in school history.
After Cole pulled the Ephs to within three with under a minute to go, the Ephs then opted to put the Lord Jeffs at the line as Chuck Abba fouled Amherst’s leading scorer John Donovan.
Donovan missed the front-end of the one-and-one and gave the Ephs a chance.
After a timeout, the Ephs inbounded the ball under their own basket with 13.6 seconds remaining. Crotty found Coffin who then pivoted and handed off to Kain who was moving to his left after coming off a screen. Kain then pulled up and found the bottom of the net from the top of the key sending Eph fans into hysterics.
“Tucker was as likely as anyone to knock down that three,” Paulsen said.
What was not as likely was how much Kain then took over the game in overtime. He scored 13 of his team’s 22 points, including the first seven points that gave the Ephs their first lead since the 13-minute mark of the first half.
Despite struggling to finish off the win by turning the ball over on three successive possessions, good free-throw shooting gave the Ephs their 50th consecutive home win in dramatic fashion.
For the Lord Jeffs, the heartbreaking loss was their first of the season as they fell to 15-1 overall and it will also likely relinquish their top ranking in next week’s D3hoops.com poll.
Donavan, whose free throws could have iced the game in regulation, led the way with 25 points and John Bedford added 15 for Amherst.
Though Crotty’s assist total (3) was down, he did score 15 points, including three huge shots from beyond the arc, and had three steals.
And though it doesn’t show up on the box score, Paulsen credited its sixth man – the fans – for their support.
“The fans were tremendous,” he said. “They gave us some energy when we needed it the most.”
In the sixth matchup of the Little Three rivals in the last two seasons, the Ephs have now won four, but will likely face the Lord Jeffs at least one more time either in the NESCAC or NCAA Tournament.
And, best guess is, it might be another classic with another hero, just like Tucker Kain.