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Salem

About the 2002 Division III
men's basketball tournament

Williams 121, Cazenovia 49
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The first four possessions of the game did not go well for Williams. Luckily, everything else did.

Shooting a mind-blowing 73% from the field in the first half, and tying the NCAA Tournament record for assists in a game, the Ephs dominated all aspects of tonight's first-round matchup, crushing the Wildcats of Cazenovia College by the final score of 121-49.

Still undefeated at home on the season, the win propels the Ephs into the second round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament, where they will face a challenge on the road against Rochester this Saturday.

Rarely was the outcome in doubt in this contest, as Williams raced out to leads of 20-7, 37-14, and eventually 57-29 at the half. The Ephs finding it difficult to miss, shot 9-for-13 from behind the arc in the opening period, and 22-for-30 overall. Defensively, Williams was just as consistent, not committing a foul for the first 15:04 of the game, and forcing the Wildcats into bad shots with their tenacious defense.

Co-captain and forward Tim Folan regained his touch early on, shooting the lights out of the gym to the tune of 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting, going 4-for-5 from long-range. Point guard Mike Crotty added 9 assists, characterizing the unselfish play of the Ephs.

Both Williams and Cazenovia, who were without the services of their leading scorer Chuck Cassidy due to suspension, committed 11 turnovers in the first half, leading to a number of fast break baskets for both sides. However, where the Ephs tightened their belts in the second period, the Wildcats could not, losing the ball 16 times after the break, and largely failing to keep up with their hard-running Williams counterparts.

"We thought that was one area that they looked vulnerable, on transition defense," said head coach Dave Paulsen, "and so when we had an open look, a transition 3-pointer, we wanted our guys to take it."

Williams more than tripled the output of Cazenovia in the second period, outscoring the Wildcats 64-20. After the lead was stretched to 40 early on in the second half, Paulsen took his starters out of the game, leading to a multitude of minutes for a number of key reserves. Jason Farkas scored 14 points in 14 minutes of mostly second half action, while John Fitzgerald and Tucker Kain saw their playing time stretch into double digits.

"These guys are really hungry coming off the bench," said Paulsen, "and it's great for these guys to get some experience playing in a big game, to make sure we keep our depth."

Six Ephs finished with double digits in points, none in more than 24 minutes of action. Cazenovia was led by the 12 points of Rob Sears, who shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range.

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