Yes they did Men's b-ball wins championship Panthers destroy Bowdoin, outlast Amherst en route to first NESCAC title

Author: Jeff Klein

As the last 15 seconds ticked off the clock and Amherst backed off, no longer looking to foul, the Panthers started to hug each other and jump up and down, caught up in a moment of pure joy. They looked toward the crowd - the crazed student section that had exhausted every vocal chord supporting them throughout this amazing run - and put their arms up in a gesture of triumph. Was this really about to happen?

The buzzer sounded. Apparently, the answer was yes.

Riding the momentum of a tremendous home court advantage, the men's basketball team easily dispatched Bowdoin in the semifinals before outlasting Amherst by a score of 77-68 to win its first-ever NESCAC Championship.

"We couldn't be happier about our first NESCAC Championship," said Aaron Smith '09. "It has been amazing to see how far the program has come in just four years. Everyone on this team, the players and coaches, just completely dedicated themselves to winning."

Bowdoin provided little resistance for the Panthers in the semifinal matchup on Saturday. Knowing that a NESCAC Championship birth was on the line, each team appeared jittery in the early going, misfiring on shots and turning the ball over. As a result, the game remained 6-5 Middlebury - a virtual stalemate - for what seemed like an eternity.

Eventually, though, the Panthers got it going and went on one of their patented runs. Sparked by threes from Kyle Dudley '09 and Tim Edwards '09.5, Middlebury scored 10 unanswered points with 5:35 remaining in the first half to take a commanding 29-14 advantage.

The Panthers went into the half with a 30-18 lead, paced by Ben Rudin's '09 15 points.

Middlebury provided the knockout punch shortly after intermission, as the team opened the second half hitting a scorching 13 out of 15 shots, which established a nearly insurmountable 29-point lead.

Bowdoin answered with a 9-0 run, closing within 20 points with 7:37 remaining. Yet it was simply not enough for the Polar Bears, who found that there would be no repeat NESCAC tournament upset from last year.

The final 76-46 margin of victory was the Panthers' fourth largest of the season. Still, they knew it would be a moot point if they did not defeat Amherst, which had beaten Williams in the other semifinal matchup. the following day.

Despite the early start time of noon (for college students, anyway), the Middlebury faithful packed the bleachers and prepared to do their part to propel the Panthers to championship status.

Amherst, though, had other ideas, as the Lord Jeffs raced out to an early 18-9 lead before Head Coach Jeff Brown called a timeout to settle down his squad.

Middlebury then began to slowly chip away at the lead. A pair of baskets by Ryan

Sharry '12 narrowed the deficit to three. After an Amherst three-pointer, the Panthers asserted themselves with a 7-0 run to take a 24-23 lead, sending the blue-and-white decked crowd into a frenzy.

Having found its rhythm, Middlebury started playing like the team that had earned a school-record 23 wins on the season. An 8-0 spurt at the 4:13 mark of the first half increased the Panthers' lead to 42-32. However, Amherst responded with a small run of its own, and Middlebury had to settle for a five-point advantage at the half.

Middlebury again seized the upper hand in the beginning of the second half, as a tip-in by Smith restored the Panther lead to 10. However, Amherst showed why it has consistently been one of the elite teams in the NESCAC. Taking advantage of four Middlebury turnovers, the Lord Jeffs went on a 10-0 run to take a 55-54 lead with 9:42 left in the game.

The game see-sawed back and forth for the next few minutes, and the contest was deadlocked at 65 with just over four minutes remaining. With the game - and a NESCAC Championship - hanging in the balance, Middlebury went on an 8-0 run to establish a 73-65 lead on a Rudin jumper with 1:27 left.

The Lord Jeffs drew to within five, but that was as close as they would get, as the Panthers would not be denied their first NESCAC Championship - not on this day, not in front of this home crowd. When the final buzzer sounded, with the scoreboard reading Middlebury 77, Amherst 68, students stormed the court and elatedly jumped up and down with the rest of the team at center court.

After the game, the Panthers basked in the euphoria of being champions. Players and their families hugged one another, numerous pictures were taken to capture the priceless scene and, finally, the team participated in the ceremonious cutting down of the nets. One by one, each player ascended the ladder beneath the basket and cut off a portion of the net - and with it, a piece of history. When Coach Brown stepped up and snipped off the final piece of twine, the players started chanting ,"COACH OF THE YEAR! COACH OF THE YEAR!" This was a moment that the entire team would treasure forever.

Yet this latest achievement is especially gratifying for the four seniors who have remained steadfast in their commitment to elevating the Middlebury basketball program to prominence.

"It has been such an honor to be a part of this team," said Smith. "We're such a close group of friends that it makes it easy to trust one another on the court. I think that's so important: one family devoted to one goal. My hope is that this is just the beginning of a successful basketball tradition at Middlebury - that people will look back at this season and say, 'That was the team that started it all.'"

"It is an unbelievable feeling to win this championship and I will cherish it forever," Dudley concurred.

"As a senior, it's been great to become more successful as a team each year," said Matt Westman '09. "One of the most memorable moments of the season will certainly be the atmosphere in Pepin during the NESCAC tournament and the unprecedented support and enthusiasm from students, faculty, and the greater Middlebury basketball community."

Rudin, who earned NESCAC Player of the Week for his outstanding efforts against Bowdoin and Amherst, was ecstatic for everyone involved in bringing a championship to the Middlebury basketball program.

"Winning the NESCAC championship was one of the most gratifying, memorable and special feelings of my life," he said. "While the victory was obviously a large reason for these emotions, it was more that I was able to share this moment with the three other seniors and the rest of team. The hard work that we have put into basketball since stepping foot onto campus all paid off with the sounding of that buzzer. It's truly an honor to bring Middlebury its first ever men's basketball NESCAC championship and to do it with the guys on this team."

For the underclassmen, too, this was a feeling of utter gratification. "Being part of this team has been an amazing experience," said Jamal Davis '11. "I've never won a championship before and it feels great to win one with this team."

"The whole experience has been surreal," maintained Sharry, a first-year who was nothing short of outstanding in the decisive game against Amherst. "To win the NESCAC Championship as a first-year, when it had never been done before in school history, is beyond belief. I am especially happy for the seniors who, after coming in last in the league their freshman year, created a winning atmosphere for Middlebury basketball that led to their NESCAC Championship."

It's hard to believe after such an emotional achievement, but Middlebury's run is not over yet. On Monday afternoon, the Panthers found out they had received a first-round bye in the NCAA Division III tournament. Even better, the team will once more have the benefit of the Middlebury home crowd advantage, as it will host the winner of St. Joseph's and Bridgewater State this Saturday, March 7 at 7 p.m.

With the way the Panthers have been rolling, they are eager to st
art the tournament and hopefully advance to face some of the best D-III teams in the nation.

"This season has been so much fun, we don't want it to end," said Smith. "I think we're playing our best basketball at the right time. Now it's just a matter of taking one game at a time and continuing to get better. I like to think we're starting a new season this weekend."