An effective fast break attack helped the Ephs jump out to an early 25-13 advantage. After a Williams defensive slump midway through the first half, Southern Vermont crawled back into contention with a 13-3 run. Guard Douglas Hammond drilled a deep 3-pointer to pull the Mountaineers within one at 30-29 with 7:30 to play in the half, but Williams responded with renewed defensive energy. With point guard Chris Shalvoy (10 assists) pushing the tempo, the Ephs picked it up a notch over the final five minutes and built a 53-39 halftime lead.
"We try to run every game," Williams Head Coach Dave Paulsen said. "I think it's an effective strategy for us. We've got some great 3-point shooters off the break and we're not physically overpowering. It would be tough for us to slug things out in a half court game. But tonight especially it was important for us to run because Southern Vermont is a good team, but they are only about six guys deep."
Conditioning became a factor in the second half as Southern Vermont lacked the reinforcements to slow down the Williams offense. The running game created loads of good looks for Eph shooters, and they came up big. The Ephs shot a blistering 54.5 percent from the floor on the night and knocked down 19-of-36 (52.8 percent) from behind the arc.
"It'd be nice, but we're obviously not going to score 110 points every night," Paulsen said. "I still think it's important for us to run and play at that tempo. The big thing though is that our defense over the first 14 or 15 minutes was at a level that was just not acceptable. I thought we did a lot better after that. We need that to be a constant for us."
Williams used 16 players in the win, and 12 of them put points on the board. Rookie Kevin Snyder started at guard for the Ephs, scoring 9 points and pulling down 4 rebounds. Fellow first-year Tommas Golia shined off the bench, going a perfect 3-for-3 en route to 8 points and 3 assists.
"I think we're making progress in terms of developing depth," Paulsen said. "Tonight we could see some of the first-years starting to understand. They're figuring things out and making progress. And I love the work ethic and chemistry of this group."
Hammond led the Mountaineers with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Mark Edmonds (19 points) and Chris Matte (17 points) contributed solid efforts as well.
Southern Vermont will take on Salem State in the consolation game on Tuesday at 1 p.m., while Williams will challenge Manhattanville in the final of the Purple and Gold Invitational at 8 p.m.