Men’s basketball extends streak, 2-0 in NESCAC

Not even a 13-point road deficit to a rival school could stop the Middlebury men’s basketball team from continuing its historic run over the weekend. With a 79-63 road win over Tufts and 78-65 victory at Bates, the Panthers find themselves 13-0 for the first time in school history.
A week after setting the school record for victories without a loss against Lyndon State, Middlebury (13-0) began NESCAC play in a tight first-half struggle with the Jumbos (6-7). While the Panthers struck first, starting off with an 8-2 lead, Tufts controlled the rest of the half due in large part to a 26-9 run that spanned nearly eight and a half minutes. Tufts guard Alex Goldfarb led the run, nailing three 3-pointers and leading all scorers with 13 points at halftime.
With four minutes left in the half, the Panthers cut the deficit to 36-30. However, a late Tufts run, again led by Goldfarb, saw the team score the last seven points of the period giving the Jumbos a 13 point half-time lead.
“Tufts came out and played a great first half,” said guard Jake Wolfin ’13.
With their historic run in jeopardy, the Panthers recollected themselves to begin the second half, going back to the fundamentals that helped them begin the run.
“At halftime, coach Jeff Brown reinforced the fact that we still had a whole half to play,” said Wolfin. “We had to take the game one play at a time.”
Beginning with a 12-3 run four minutes into the second period, the Panthers cut the lead to six with 15 minutes left in regulation. Tufts held on to the marginal lead until a three-point play by Wolfin tied the contest at 54 with 10 minutes left in the period.
From that point on, the Panthers used their outstanding shooting and strangling defense to take over the game, producing a 31-point swing over the course of just 18 minutes, including a 17-0 run in the middle of the second half. Middlebury shot 65 percent from the floor in the final period, including five for six from three-point range. Sophomore Nolan Thompson ’13 led all scorers with a career-high 28 points, 18 of which came in the second-half comeback. Senior Captain Andrew Locke ’11 dominated the defensive side of the ball, with eight rebounds and six blocks.
Just a day after the Tufts comeback, the Panthers traveled to Bates, successfully defending their winning streak and opening up NESAC play 2-0 with 78-65 a win over the Bobcats. The Panthers continued their unbelievable shooting percentage, knocking down nearly 60 percent of their field goals and shooting 44 percent from behind the three point line. Thanks to sharp shooting from Thompson, the Panthers gained a 10-point first half lead that they would hold on to until the final buzzer sounded.
The Panthers held off great performances by Bobcats Brian Ellis and Alex Gallant, who combined for 41 points. Coming off his career high scoring effort at Tufts, Thompson again led all Middlebury scorers with 22 points, going eight for 12 from the field. Forward Ryan Sharry ’12 also contributed to the Panther victory, scoring 12 points while nabbing nine rebounds.
This weekend, the Panthers defend their streak at Hamilton, hoping to continue their historic run and establish themselves as a NESCAC powerhouse.