MBB: NESCAC

[magicman]

Pointers Tillema fouled as he tries a dunk. Makes em both 71-67 Pointers with 52 seconds to play.

[magicman]

Pointers up 71-68. Pointers going to the line for free throws. Mooses make makes em both now 73-68. Williams scores a quick layup now 73-70.

[magicman]

Point back at the line. Moses hits em both 75-70 with 30 secs.

[magicman]

Stevens Point defeats Williams 78-73.

[magicman]

Blake Schultz led the way for the Ephs with 20 pts. Troy Whittington with a huge game had 19 pts, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks. James Wang had 17 pts and Alex Rubin finished with 11.

Matt Moses led the Pointers and was the game's high scorer with 22 pts and 7 rebounds. Jared Jenkins had 17 pts, Dan Tillema scored 15 pts and Louis Hurd added 10 pts.

Williams can hold their head high as they completed a great season and all D3 fans were treated to a super championship game with 2 outstanding teams fighting it out to the end. Congratulations to both teams for their efforts. 

[John Gleich]

Great game by Williams.  I really thought Point was done when Williams went up 54-44 and even when Point took a lead, I knew Williams could shoot themselves back into the game.

[Titan Q]

A terrific performance by Williams today in Salem...the Ephs just came up a little short against another great team.  I was extremely impressed by Williams - what a talented group.

Great season!

[jumpshot]

Another wonderful celebration of Division 3 basketball this weekend in Salem. Congratulations to the Williams College team, coaches and fans. People are the only source of a sustainable competitive advantage. The Williams people --meaning the players, coaches, trainers, etc.-- did the hard work necessay to excel as a basketball team ---and the entire Williams community can be proud of the way in which they represent themselves and Williams College. The tone --and results -- of the entire athletic program at Williams College over many years is quite remarkable.

[old_hooper]

Congratulations to Williams on a terrific season.  UWSP defense proved to be the difference in the end.  Great career for Schultz.  Maker's influence made this team improve in the areas it needed to get to where they were today.  He has  certainly proved that he is one of the better coaches at the DIII level in just his 2nd year.  If he has aspirations to go to higher level and more money I am sure his name will be in the mix for upcoming opportunities. 

[nescac1]

Finally home, heck of a weekend in Salem, I'll post full thoughts tomorrow but just wanted to congratulate the Ephs on a fantastic weekend and amazing season.  They left their hearts on the floor and should be absolutely proud, as they played a heck of a game but unfortunately played a heck of a team today.  Tough to lose two very tight finals to WSP, but each time, the level of play from both teams was incredibly high, and there is no doubt in my mind that the two best teams in the country went head to head today, Stevens Point just had a bit more depth and energy to close it out at the end.  I don't think anyone foresaw a 30-2 season and a second place finish back in October, congrats to coach Maker and the entire team for a heck of a year. 

[BankShotCharlie]

Nescac1, I'm glad you are so proud of your Williams boys that you basically wrote an entire essay on D3hoops that I guarantee was skimmed/skipped over by readers harder than Kansas read over their scouting report on Ali Farokhmanesh.

But I'll give it to you, the Seniors had some great careers!  It's too bad they came up just short when it mattered most.  Unfortunately for those Seniors and for Coach Maker they will never know what it's like to win the big one.  The Williams team of 2004 and the Amherst team from 2008 were also two teams that lost in the Championship games but at the end of the day those two teams had a Championship banner to bring home to their school and an experience of a lifetime the year before.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, sure losing the Championship is disappointing but everyone still remembers their first time (except maybe a site administrator or two who are still waiting for that day) and in the spirit of one of the greatest rivalries in sports, I just want to rub a little salt in the Williams festering wounds and remind everybody that nobody on this Williams has (and never will have) a championship ring. 

[Greek Tragedy]

Williams has an awesome team.  Wang, Schultz and Rubin can shoot the lights out and Point had no answer for Whittington.  He was a monster inside. 

It was great weekend and really enjoyable to see some great teams play, including Guilford with Sanborn and Henson.  Congrats on Williams' great season. 

Who do you guys loose next year?  Point loses Moses, who was the star senior, along with semester transfer Ross Forman, and little used Evan Sweeney. 

[nescac1]

I'm sure that every player on Amherst's barely-above-.500 team would gladly trade places with every player on Williams right now.  A grand total of three players on Amherst's current roster have ever won an NCAA game, one has won an NCAA title as a barely-used bench player, and none have won a NESCAC championship, let alone an NCAA championship.  The Eph seniors have, among them, two NESCAC titles (one on Amherst's home court), a national championship appearance, and a Josten's, plus underclassman who are an all-American and a Final Four all tourney team member.  And they graduate with a two game winning streak vs. the 'hurst and a program poised for great things next year with the return of two likely pre-season All Americans and a great offensive system firmly in place.  

Williams is tied with Amherst for NCAA titles, ahead in final fours, ahead in NCAA wins, well ahead in head-to-head wins, undefeated vs. Amherst in the NCAA, has two second place finishes to one for Amherst, and has won two straight vs. Amherst.  And the future looks bright for the Ephs.  Big edge to Williams in hoops, and of course in athletics in general.  Eph players and fans aren't really sweating it ...

Thanks Old School.  Whittington was insanely good this weekend, what is amazing is how much he has improved over the last year or so, just incredible.  WSP seemed very deep and very balanced, although Moses is of course a big loss.  As for next year, the Ephs definitely lose a bit more than the Pointers, who I imagine will be pre-season number one.  We lose three great starters in Schultz, Rubin, and Geoghegan, plus four other seniors, two of whom received a few minutes each per game.  The Ephs will be very athletic next year but definitely don't have the same level of shooting returning, and obviously it is particularly tough to replace a first-team All-American.  Whittington and Wang should be superstars next year, Robertson (despite a bit of a tough game against WSP, he killed it against Guilford) could also grow into a star as he gets stronger and more aggressive on offense, and Dodson should get a lot more PT and I think could surprise with a big senior year.  After that there are a lot of question marks but I've heard good things about little-used frosh James Klemm (another big-time shooter / scorer in the Rubin mold) and soph Brian Emerson (a big guy who can shoot the three and will spell Whittington).  Beyond that six, it is anyone's guess who will play for the Ephs, but some of the rising sophs may get a chance, and word on the street is that the Ephs have at least 1-2 recruits who could play early.  On paper Williams won't be as deep or balanced as this team, but they definitely have enough talent to make another deep tourney run if a few additional pieces fall into place.  

[eph partisan]

I just want to rub a little salt in the Williams festering wounds and remind everybody that nobody on this Williams has (and never will have) a championship ring. 

I can only assume from nescac1's response that you are an Amherst fan. If you want to root against the Ephs, then fine, go ahead and do that. But "rub salt in a festering wound"? Belittle what nescac1 had to say? That strikes me as not in the spirit of the game. Moreover, if you want to play that game, nescac1 has pointed out the numerous ways in which that does not make sense to do, on your part. And, to build on what nescac1 said about next year, to say that no one on the Williams team ever will win a ring is a little presumptuous, no? They are good, and Maker is a phenomenal coach. He will take them far again soon.

Congrats to the Ephs, just to echo everyone else. They had an exceptional year.

[Hugenerd]

Klemm is very good.  He is from the same HS as last year's POY, Bartolotta, and was better coming out of high school than Bartolotta was.  That is not to say that he will improve like Bartolotta did over his 4 seasons, but he definitely has all the tools to be a great player.