After allowing Whittier to shoot 50 percent from the field in the first half, Williams trailed 34-32 at the break. But the Ephs cranked up the defensive pressure in the second half, holding the Poets to just 26 points on 33 percent shooting. An improved running game and some sharp shooting on the offensive end helped Williams rally for 52 second half points.
“We really did a great job in the second half,” Williams Head Coach Dave Paulsen said. “It was a tale of two halves defensively, and our second half defense was really the key. And we did a great job on the glass against a pretty big team, so I was very happy with that. We went on a shooting tear in the second half which also helped us out.”
With just over 14 minutes remaining, Whittier led 46-44, but Williams then went on a 21-4 run over the next six and a half minutes to put the game out of reach. Clutch three-point shooting by Rose and sophomore pointguard Chris Shalvoy (9 points, 6 assists, 0 turnovers) fueled the run.
Rose had a monster game for the Ephs, recording 31 points on 12-for-21 shooting, including an impressive 7-for-13 effort from behind the arc. His efforts on the glass were crucial, as he pulled down 14 boards. Williams also got 38 solid minutes from senior guard Casey Gibbons. The veteran scored 13 points and dished out 8 assists.
“Gibbons had a huge game for us; his performance was pivotal,” Paulsen said. “He was very composed, played a great floor game, and executed things for us. He did a great job making the other guys around him better and distributing the basketball. It was great to see him play so well.”
Also encouraging for Williams was the performance of senior bigman Andrew Newton, who is working his way back to full strength after knee surgery during the summer. Newton played 33 minutes and racked up 13 points and 5 rebounds.
Sophomore Raphael Farlough led Whittier with 16 points and 5 boards, and junior Anthony Taylor chipped in 12 points and 5 rebounds.
“This weekend, we were looking, first of all, to win,” Paulsen said. “But really, we wanted to show that we are a better team defensively than last year and that we are a better rebounding team as well. Most importantly, we want to be tougher. I don’t think any of those things we did particularly well in the first half, but in the second half we really showed some toughness.”
Williams will take on Babson, a 71-58 winner over Bowdoin in the other first round match-up, in the tournament championship at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Whittier will face Bowdoin in the 1 p.m. consolation match.
“We’re very happy with this win.” Paulsen said. “It was a good win against a quality opponent. Obviously we still have a lot of things to work on, but it’s great to be working from a win.”