Williams dominated play from the outset, scoring 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field in the opening half. For the game, he connected on 12-of-17 from the floor and all three of his free-throw attempts en route to posting game-highs of 27 points and 11 boards. The forward also collected a club-high four steals.
Following a 12-12 start, Mount Ida used a 13-3 surge midway through the first half to open up a 25-15 advantage. Williams and senior captain Matt McGaughran (Taunton, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy) sparked the run with five points apiece, and sophomore Mike Dunham (Salem, N.H./Salem) nailed one of his career-high six treys to cap it off. The Mustangs maintained a nine-point advantage (35-26) with just over five minutes remaining in the first frame, but the Hawks ran off 17 of the next 26 points to close the gap to 44-43 at the break.
After the teams exchanged three-pointers to begin the second stanza, Mount Ida ran off nine consecutive points and never looked back. The Mustangs outscored Becker 50-37, leading by as many as 22 points in a dominant second half performance.
Four Mustangs recorded double-digit scoring nights for the visitors, who shot a sizzling 56.3% (36-64) from the field, including 50.0% (7-14) from downtown in the contest. Dunham netted a career-best 22 points to go with four assists, while senior Scott Chamberlain (Millis, Mass./Millis) registered 14 points and six rebounds. McGaughran was solid all-around for Mount Ida, totaling nine points, six rebounds and a career-high nine assists, while junior Andreas Vasiliu (Newton, Mass./Newton North) chipped in with ten points, four helpers and three steals to round things out for the Mustangs.
Freshman Chris Finnimore (Worcester, Mass./South) paced Becker with 24 points, nine boards and a game-high five steals. Senior Jeff Kotkowski (Melrose, Mass./Melrose) notched a double-double on 13 points and a game-best 15 rebounds, while freshman Shawn Fullmer (West Haven, Conn./Hill Regional) converted on four trifectas on his way to 14 points. Sophomore Jeremy Rivers (Springfield, Mass./Cathedral) added seven points and a squad-best seven helpers for the Hawks.
Mount Ida (4-15, 3-5 NAC) hosts Maine Maritime for an important Conference battle on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Becker (3-15, 1-8 NAC) will also be in action on Saturday, when it looks to snap a nine-game losing skid at league foe Castleton State College. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.