The Ephs went with a smaller starting lineup to match the quick Cardinal squad, and the strategy paid dividends. Wesleyan was frustrated all night long, connecting on just 27 percent of its field goal attempts and turning the ball over 17 times. Sophomore Chris Rose spearheaded the strong defensive performance as he held Cardinal leading scorer Ryan Pelletier to just 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting. No other Wesleyan scorer hit double-digits.
“We played very well defensively, especially in the first half,” Williams Head Coach Dave Paulsen said. “Overall, it was just a very good defensive effort. Our offense got a bit sluggish in the second half with the big lead, but it was really just a solid win. We’re happy to be heading into Thanksgiving with a 3-0 record.”
Rose also led the Ephs on the offensive end with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Senior bigman Andrew Newton chipped in 11 points and 6 boards, while the backcourt of junior Brian Nelson (6 points, 3 assists), sophomore Chris Shalvoy (6 points, 3 assists) and senior Casey Gibbons (8 points), kept things running smoothly.
Every healthy Eph on the roster saw action in the contest and many made valuable contributions. Senior Will Kuntz came off the bench to add 10 points and 5 rebounds in a solid performance. The impressive play of many of the Eph reserves is an encouraging sign for a young team whose success will likely be largely reliant upon how quickly the bench develops.
“What we really need to work at is our consistency,” Paulsen said. “We have been playing very well in flashes and then losing it a bit. Part of that is that we need more consistent production off of our bench, but that is well within our grasp. Our younger players coming off the bench are still figuring things out. We need to cultivate some quality play from them, and I think we will.”
Williams will return to action on Sunday at 2 p.m. against RPI on the road.