With less than 10 minutes remaining in the contest and Wesleyan clinging to a slim lead,, Newton stepped up to fuel a 13-2 Williams run over the next seven minutes. Three Newton hoops inside, including a 3-point play, gave the Ephs a comfortable 65-56 edge with 2:50 to play.
Also crucial down the stretch was the defensive play of senior Will Kuntz, junior Phil Wall and sophomore Matt Weisbrot off the bench. Weisbrot, who pulled down a game-high 8 rebounds, spearheaded their solid efforts on the glass.
“Those three guys were really the key,” Williams Head Coach Dave Paulsen said. “They came off the bench and got a number of stops in a row for us. They helped right the ship with the energy and presence they brought to the game. Those guys did a great job for us defensively.”
The Ephs built an 11-0 advantage over the opening two and a half minutes of the game but could not find the energy to sustain their lead. Williams went cold from the floor, shooting just 33.3 percent in the half. The slump allowed Wesleyan to steal momentum, as the Cardinals took advantage of 8 Eph turnovers and pulled down 10 offensive boards to climb into the driver’s seat.
A 3-pointer by forward Blake Curry gave Wesleyan its first lead of the contest with 4:40 remaining in the half. Williams did not regain the lead until just 8 minutes were left on the clock. The Cardinals led 32-30 at the half.
“After those first few minutes, we lacked energy on the defensive end in the first half,” Paulsen said. “I think that was largely due to the fact that we were missing shots that we normally make. We have to learn to be a good team regardless of whether or not are shots are falling.”
Curry finished with 20 points and 6 boards for the Cardinals, while Nick Pelletier chipped in 12 points and 6 rebounds.
Sophomores Chris Rose and Chris Shalvoy contributed impressive efforts for the Ephs. Plauged by second half foul trouble, Rose still managed to pour in 19 points and grab 7 rebounds. Shalvoy (17 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) had a hand in many of the Eph baskets down the stretch and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
“This is a team that is still forging its identity,” Paulsen said. “We have to make sure that identity is about defensive energy and intensity, regardless of how we are playing offensively.”
Williams will finish up its first weekend of conference play by hosting Conn. College tomorrow at 3 p.m.