After having suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of the Bowdoin Polar Bears and the Colby Mules, the men’s basketball team looks to bounce back in a critical conference showdown with Connecticut College this Saturday. The Cards struggled offensively while in Maine, failing to score more than 50 points in consecutive games for the first time this season as they fell to 3-5 in NESCAC play. At Bowdoin, the Cards found themselves down by 12 points with just over 16 minutes remaining in the contest. As they have done all year, the squad mounted a furious comeback and trailed by just one point at the 11-minute mark. However, the Cards were unable to gain a consistent rhythm on offense, shooting just 32% from the floor en route to a 64-48 loss.
The squad received a terrific effort from freshman Nick Pelletier, who contributed 12 points and 8 rebounds, and Blake Curry chipped in with 13 points and 6 boards. Senior captain Tim Holland, the team’s deadly shooting guard, was unable to get on track as he misfired on all of his field goal attempts. The team’s other scoring machine, Rob Kelly ’06 also struggled from the field as he shot 4-15 from the floor.
The Cards looked like they would bounce back against Colby as they held a three point lead at half time, 31-28, 15 of those coming from behind the arc. However, the team’s offense struggled again in the second half, shooting just 24% from the field, and came out on the bottom end of a 63-49 score. Starting point guard Doug Rubenstein was the only Cardinal who scored in double digits, as he made the most of his six field goal attempts by scoring 11 points, 9 of those coming from three pointers. Despite the struggles from the team’s two most potent scoring options, their teammates are confident that both players will be able to bounce back with authority on Saturday.
“Tim and Rob did not have their best games this weekend, but they are still our go-to guys,” Rubenstein said. “They got some rust out of their system, and they’re going to continue to play well for us in the post-season stretch. I have complete confidence that we can, and will make a turnaround this weekend.”
Echoing those sentiments, shooting guard Jarred Ashe ’07 expressed confidence in the team’s offensive ability despite their struggles last weekend.
“We’ll be fine offensively.,” Ashe, who is currently rehabbing an injury, said. “Hopefully Tim and Rob can get better looks. We weren’t penetrating the lane well over the weekend, but it’s nothing to worry about. We weren’t on our home floor, and with a young team, we’re still building our confidence. I know that we can explode for 70, 80, or even 90 points during any given game. We just have to play with discipline on offense.”
This Saturday, the Cards will clinch a NESCAC playoff berth with a win over Connecticut College, who also needs a victory to stay alive for the playoffs. One critical difference for the squad is that the contest will be played at home in the new gym, where the Cards have won three of their last four contests, including wins over second ranked Bates, Williams, and Middlebury. The Cards have thrived in the new building, as the enthusiasm shown by the home crowd has clearly given the squad an advantage over the competition.
“It is a great advantage to play at home,” Holland said. “We don’t have to travel, and the opposing team gets fatigued coming here. We practice on our own floor every day. And the crowd has been our sixth man out there. They provide us with the energy that gives us the edge we need. They really have helped us win close games. We feel like we can beat any team in the league here.”
Likewise, Kelly attributed the team’s solid play at home to the enthusiasm displayed by the fans.
“This has been the best home basketball atmosphere in my years here at Wesleyan. We have lots of knowledgeable fans, and they give us confidence, and the energy we need to keep going. It is hard for us to get tired in that type of atmosphere,” the standout center said.
The basketball team will play its final home game of the season on Saturday, with the tipoff slated for 2 p.m.
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