News Release

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams (10-2) captured the Purple and Gold Invitational crown with a 74-62 victory over Manhattanville (6-5) at home on Tuesday night. Sophomore Chris Rose posted a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) to lead the Ephs and was named the MVP of the tournament.

Facing a scrappy Valiant defense, the Ephs took care of the basketball and created easy opportunities off their fast break. Though they connected on just 20 percent of their shots from behind the arc, layups from the running game allowed the Ephs to shoot 45.7 percent from the floor on the night. They turned the ball over just 10 times.

Rose paced Williams' balanced attack with his game-high 18 points, and sophomore point guard Chris Shalvoy chipped in 11 points and 7 assists. Underneath, senior big men Andrew Newton (14 points, 10 rebounds) and William Kuntz (12 points, 7 rebounds) contributed strong performances. Their dominance helped the Ephs post a 48-34 advantage on the boards.

"There were so many positives for us in this game," Williams Head Coach Dave Paulsen said. "I was telling the team that we should really be excited about this win. It wasn't a masterpiece and it was a bit sloppy at times, but it was a good win."

The two teams traded runs early and a 3-pointer by Valiant guard Jovan Kandic tied things at 25-25 with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half. Increased defensive pressure helped Williams take over as the half wound down. Back-to-back hoops by Kuntz propelled the Ephs to their biggest advantage of the half, 41-29, with 1:10 to go. Williams took a 41-32 lead into the half.

The Ephs continued to apply defensive pressure in the second half, holding the Valiants to just 30.6 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes. Strong play off the bench by first-year guard Kevin Snyder and sophomore forward Matt Weisbrot kept Williams in control the rest of the way.

Kandic and John DiBetta each chipped in 13 points to lead the Valiants.

After the game, All-Tournament honors were awarded to Rose, Newton, DiBetta, Manhattanville's Donte Chisolm, Southern Vermont's Douglas Hammond and Salem State's Eric Downie.

The Purple and Gold champs will face their biggest challenge yet on Saturday when they take on nationally fourth-ranked Amherst (8-0) on the road.

"We just have to focus on the things we can control," Paulsen said. "We have to keep doing what we have been doing: playing with defensive intensity and cleaning the glass effectively. It's really nothing different; we just have to be sure to do all the little things. And we'll get to do them against a very talented team - the best team we have played."