Men make an emphatic statement

Author: Jeff Klein

Last year's playoff loss in overtime to Colby is now a distant memory.

Before a raucous crowd in Pepin Gymnasium this past Saturday, Feb. 23, the Middlebury men's basketball team made history yet again by serving up a 96-59 blowout victory over Williams. With the win, the Panthers now have their first-ever playoff victory in the history of the NESCAC tournament.

Next up is Trinity, whom the Panthers will face in a semifinal showdown hosted by Amherst College this Saturday, March 1 at 8 p.m.

Against Williams, the Panthers were fired up from the start, opening the game with what has become a recurring sight this season: a three from Andrew Harris '08. Harris connected on four shots from downtown and finished the game with 15 points.

"It's a great feeling, probably the most exhilarating feeling in basketball, second maybe to throwing down a thunderous dunk, but I wouldn't know about that," said Harris, describing the feeling of running back down the court after hitting a clutch three and the home crowd going wild.

The game remained relatively close for the duration of the first half. Middlebury would regularly jump out to a modest lead before Williams would answer to close the deficit.

After the Panthers gained a 24-16 advantage, their largest lead of the first half, the Ephs pulled within one on three separate occasions before Middlebury restored a seven-point lead with clutch shooting from Albert Handy '08 and the inside play of Aaron Smith '09. Williams would again fight back, pulling to within two with under a minute left, and entered halftime trailing the Panthers 42-39.

The game was a tale of two halves, as Middlebury completely overwhelmed Williams in the latter period. After Troy Whittington hit a basket for the Ephs at the 11:33 mark, Williams would not score for the next 4:47.

By the time Williams found the basket again, the Panthers had put together a dominant 10-0 run and established a commanding 70-54 advantage.

The game only worsened for the Ephs over the final 11:33, as they connected on only one of their final 13 field goals. The Panthers, meanwhile, shot a spectacular 10-of-13 - including a perfect six-for-six from beyond the arc - and outscored Williams 36-5 during that time frame.

"We brought great defensive intensity and we executed well on offense," Smith said. "Everyone was on the same page and we never let up."

As the clock wound down under five minutes, Middlebury players and fans alike started to sense the victory. The starters were pulled with around two minutes to go, and they exchanged hugs with coaches and teammates behind a thunderous ovation from the crowd. When the final buzzer sounded, the Panthers jumped up and down, their arms held high in a sign of victory. The moment could not have been better.

While overjoyed by the victory, the Panthers - looking to accomplish bigger and better things - are not going to celebrate for too long. The team understands that this is just the first part of its mission to win the NESCAC tournament and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.

"It means a lot to get the first NESCAC postseason win for Middlebury," said Smith. "But we certainly aren't satisfied - this is just the first step in our goal to win the NESCAC tournament. Let's talk about records after that."

The Panthers have already suffered a 74-71 home defeat at the hands of Trinity on Jan. 26, so they know that they have their work cut out for them. Still, players are remaining optimistic.

"I like our chances going into the semifinals against Trinity," said Harris. "We're playing well together on both sides of the court. Our defense was great on Saturday, and we'll have to keep it up going into next weekend. On offense, we have so many weapons that if someone is having an off day, another player will step up. When everyone is playing well, we're a very dangerous team."

Now they have a playoff victory in their pocket to prove it.