Wesleyan men’s basketball got a crucial victory over NESCAC foe Connecticut College on Saturday, defeating the Camels 79-70 and improving their record to 10-12 (2-5 NESCAC). The Cardinals are now in good shape for a NESCAC tournament berth and can clinch a postseason spot with a win this weekend.
In the first half, it was unclear whether the Cardinals would be able to take control of the game, trading baskets with the Camels before leading 33-27 at halftime. Even after they extended the lead to 50-41 with 12:20 remaining in the game, Conn. made a 5-0 run that shrunk it to a four-point advantage. But that’s when Wesleyan made a 9-0 run that provided a 59-46 margin with 6:45 remaining, and the lead was still 13 with five minutes to go. The Camels would not give in easily, however, proving that the NESCAC is one of the toughest leagues, top-to-bottom, in the country. Conn. drew within six with just over two minutes left, but that’s when the Cardinals put the hammer down, scoring on each of their last five possessions to ensure the all-important victory.
The win moved Wesleyan to eighth place in the conference standings and secured an important tiebreaker over the Camels, with only the top eight teams invited to the NESCAC tournament next weekend. The gravity of the situation was not lost on the players.
“The win was huge for our chances to get into the tournament,” said Jason Mendell ’12, who contributed a solid all-around effort with six points, six rebounds, three assists, and a block despite suffering through a subpar shooting night.
The real story, though, was the performance of Wesleyan’s freshmen, including four who were the team’s top four scorers. Shasha Brown ’13 lived up to his billing as the team’s top scorer on the season, netting 19 points as well as four rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
“Sha has been great at creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates, ” said Mendell of Brown. “Nobody has been able to stay in front of him on defense.”
Fellow freshmen David Fogel (13 points), Greg St. Jean (12 points, six rebounds), and Mike Callaghan (10 points, four rebounds, two steals) helped lead the way for the Cardinals. No upperclassmen were in double figures for Wesleyan as freshmen scored 59 of the Cardinals’ 79 points.
Not only did the win boost Wesleyan’s chances of securing its first NESCAC playoff spot in four years, it guaranteed the Cardinals’ first 10-win season in that span as well. Wes will look to improve upon its current conference position and solidify its place in the tournament as it travels to Bowdoin and Colby this weekend. The Cardinals will take on Bowdoin, which is coming off a pair of double-digit weekend losses (including a 43-point defeat at Williams) Friday at 8 p.m. and finish the regular season against Colby on Saturday afternoon.
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