The men’s basketball team entered last weekend with a 6-16 record, needing to win at least one game against a pair of Maine foes, Bowdoin and Colby, to have a shot at making the NESCAC tournament. The Cardinals, however, lost both games up north to finish ninth in the ten-team conference. Wesleyan finished tied with Conn. College at 2-7 in conference play, but an 85-70 Camel victory in Middletown the previous weekend gave Connecticut the final playoff spot.
It was established early at Bowdoin that it would be a struggle to get the win the Cardinals needed against the Polar Bears. Bowdoin went on a 21-3 run in the first half that put Wesleyan behind by 28 points. The Cardinals could not get any closer than 16 in the second half, despite the best efforts of Jason Mendell ’12, who played all but two minutes of the contest and scored 17 points. The final score was 72-46, marking Bowdoin’s second consecutive 20-point win over Wesleyan.
The next day, the Cards traveled to Colby to make a last attempt at getting into the NESCAC Championship. Early on, it looked like they would accomplish their goal, leading throughout the entire first half and not trailing until there were eight minutes left in the game. When Colby’s Gil Haylon hit a three with 4:10 left, the White Mules took the lead for good, going on an 18-4 run for a 68-56 final. Stan Grayson ’09 had an inspired performance, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He was helped by Mendell’s 14 points, but the duo could not overcome a game-high 28 points and 12 rebounds by Colby’s Adam Choice, who is considered among the leading candidates for NESCAC Player of the Year.
On Monday, the Cardinals went into their game at Bard College knowing it would be their last of the season. At the end of a grueling season, one might think it would be hard for the team to be enthusiastic when already out of the running for the NESCAC Championship. But the character that has developed in this team over the course of the season erased any doubts. The Cardinals came out strong, going on a 17-2 run in the first half to give them a 43-28 lead at halftime. In the second half, Wesleyan stretched its lead from 15 at halftime to 28, without letting Bard get any closer than 13 the entire way. The Cards outscored Bard 49-39 in the second to win 92-67.
Justin White of Bard led all scorers with 30 points, but the Cardinals had four players score in double figures: David Maltz ’11, Kevin Scura ’09, Mendell and Grayson. Mendell was again the high scorer at 19 points, and he also added 11 rebounds. Scura and Grayson each passed well, earning six assists each. The entire team shot the lights out, with a 55.9 percentage from the field and an astronomical 50 percent from three-point range.
Coach Joe Reilly’s first season as head of the Cardinal basketball program saw little improvement in terms of record, with a 7-17 mark, almost identical to last year’s 8-16. The Cardinals did win one more game in NESCAC play this year, but the real improvement was seen in the team’s businesslike attitude and hustle, reflecting the new coach’s no-nonsense attitude. Three players averaged double digits in points: Mendell, at 14.5; Grayson, at 13.8; and guard Jeremy Kaminer ’10, at 12.7. Kaminer also had four assists and shot 35 percent from three-point land in the first 11 games of the season before sustaining a season-ending foot injury. Maltz led the team in rebounds, averaging nearly eight per game. Grayson may have had the best overall season, averaging seven rebounds along with his 13.8 points, and also leading the team in assists (with 46) and steals (with 36).
Scura will apparently be staying on for another season as a graduate student, providing valuable leadership to go along with his passing and shooting ability. But along with Grayson, Jon Sargent ’09 and Gabe Gonzalez-Kreisberg ’09 will be graduating this spring.
When Mendell was asked about his successful season, he was humble, more eager to discuss the team’s seniors and their overall accomplishments.
“Despite not winning as much as we would have liked, this season was a good time,” Mendell said. “We are going to miss Sarge [Sargent], Gato [Gonzalez-Kreisberg], and of course Big Daddy Stan [Grayson] next year. They did a great job of being poised leaders through the good and the bad. Those guys laid the groundwork for a burgeoning program.”