By Chris Gionta
@Chris_Gionta
Springfield College men’s basketball was defeated by No. 20 Williams College on Saturday at Blake Arena by the score of 74-61.
Not an answer was to be found to solve Williams’ offense in the first half on Saturday. All of their first three shot attempts were successful three-pointers, which got them out to a quick 9-2 lead over the Pride. They did not end up letting go of the trigger behind the arc, as they attempted 18 three-pointers in the first half alone, where they were successful 11 times.
When they weren’t burying three-pointers, the Ephs were rebounding. Throughout the first half, they outrebounded Springfield, 19-6, including a 5-0 advantage with offensive rebounds. This led to Williams leading the Pride, 46-29, at halftime.
Springfield head coach Charlie Brock knew adjustments were necessary for the 2nd half, and he made them effectively.
“With us being in a 3-2 zone they went into a 2-1-2 set, and we adjusted at halftime,” said Brock. “It’s just different people being responsible for different areas, and guys for the most part did a better job with it.”
There was a clear difference between Williams’ first half offense and second half offense. After going 11-for-18 on three-point attempts before halftime, the Ephs were 4-for-14 from that range after halftime. This was largely due to Springfield defenders closing in on the shooters more effectively.
The Pride ended up giving the Blake Arena crowd things to stand up and cheer about. After getting down, 51-31, they went on a 20-7 run in which the team forced four turnovers, with Williams going 3-for-11 from the field during that stretch. This brought the Pride within seven points.
It ended up being as close as they would get in the second half. The Ephs were able to keep the Pride at bay for the rest of the game after that, and get the 74-61 victory.
This was Springfield’s final game of the semester, and will not be playing until Dec. 31, giving them 20 days away from the court.
“We can get back to it Monday through Thursday next week, and we’ll get runs in and work on our stuff,” said Brock. “Our execution, actually, offensively, has, I think, really, really improved. And it’s a matter of time and repetitions, and we can get more of those next week. So that’s what we’ll be working on.”
The Pride’s next game will be on Dec. 31 against Emmanuel College at the Naismith Classic in West Springfield, MA. Their next time in Blake Arena will be Jan. 5 against NEWMAC opponent WPI.
Photo: Springfield College Athletics