Trailing 11-10 five minutes into the contest, Williams called timeout to regroup. They came out looking reenergized and took control of the tempo, beating the Owls up the court. The improved running game created plenty of opportunities from downtown, and the Ephs took advantage. Sophomore pointguard Chris Shalvoy drained a three out of the timeout and Williams never trailed again. Over the next five minutes the Ephs went on a 15-6 run, powered by sharp-shooting by sophomore swingman Chris Rose (4-for-7 from behind the arc, 12 points, 6 rebounds).
With seven minutes to go in the first half, Williams converted on back-to-back Westfield State turnovers to extend its lead to 34-22. The Ephs stayed hot from the floor and suffocated the Owls on the defensive end to take a comfortable 51-31 lead into the break.
The Ephs shot a blazing 56 percent from the field in the first half, including a 9-for-17 effort from three-point land. Effective ball movement led to good looks for guards senior Casey Gibbons (10 points, 4 assists), junior Brian Nelson (11 points, 2 assists) and Shalvoy (12 points, 8 assists).
Impressive performances on the glass by guards Nelson (8 boards) and Gibbons (6 boards) helped the Ephs outrebound the Owls, 51-30. Williams surrendered just seven offensive rebounds on the night.
“This was a very good effort for the first 25 minutes or so,” Williams Head Coach Dave Paulsen said. “We got a little ratty at the end, and we aren’t as happy with that. But overall, we played with a great defensive intensity. Our guards came up with some big rebounds, which is going to be important for us since we play such a small lineup.”
Williams built up a 30-point edge early in the second half before Paulsen went to the bench. All 17 Ephs on the roster saw action in the victory, with senior Will Kuntz leading the reserves with 8 points and 3 rebounds.
With many of the younger Ephs seeing some of their first minutes of the year, nerves created some sloppiness down the stretch. The Owls took advantage and chipped away at the Eph lead, whittling the margin down to 13 points with just over three minutes to play. Guard Steven Martins came off the bench to score a team-high 10 points. But it was too little, too late, as Williams held on to improve to 5-0.
“If we are going to be a good team, we need to be more productive when we go deeper down the bench,” Paulsen said. “We looked nervous tonight. I think a lot of these younger guys are going to be good players, but we got to see it on the court in order to develop some quality depth.”
On Friday at 8 p.m., Williams will host MCLA in first round action of the Williams Invitational.