Cards take down Fisher for first win of ’08-’09 season

Men’s Basketball put up a strong game at home against Fisher College this Wednesday, coming away with a 79-71 win.

The win is the team’s first so far this season, having lost four in a row during the 2008-2009 campaign. This is also the first win for new head coach Joe Reilly, who was brought in to lead the team from rival NESCAC Bates College, where he registered 154 wins.

Wesleyan jumped ahead early in the first half, leading by as many as 11 after about 10 minutes of play thanks to a few quick buckets by “Diamond” David Maltz ’11 and scoring from freshmen sensations Matt Figueroa ’12 and Jason Mendell ’12.

For the remainder of the first half, however, Fisher battled to stay in the ball game. The Falcons, lead by forward Brandon Hamilton, took advantage of a host of Wesleyan turnovers to bring themselves within 4 at the end of the first half.

It was all Wesleyan from there on out, however, as Stan Grayson ’09 went to work, grabbing rebounds and swatting away shots on the defensive end and then dishing and scoring down low to keep Fisher at bay.

Tied at 54-54, Maltz ’11 hit a jumper to put Wes ahead, and it was up to the Cards to hang on with 10 minutes left. Guard Jeremy Kaminer ’10 and Mandell put the game on ice for Wesleyan, with strong contributions from the field and the free-throw line.

Kaminer, who played for a team high of 33 minutes, finished with 19 points, while Mendell had 22 by the end of the night. Grayson ’09, Figueroa ’12, and Maltz ’11, who also snatched up 11 boards, all finished in double digits for the Cardinals.

The diverse scoring has to be a positive for Coach Reilly, as the team proved its depth with strong performances from both starters and subs on Wednesday. The team also had to be impressed with the performance of its freshman players, as Mendell and Figueroa combined for 33 on the night.

“It was obviously great to pick up the win,” said Maltz ’11. “There were some really impressive individual performances, which is always a good sign, but I think we still have a long way to go. Seeing what the team has done in practice, I know we’re capable of a great season. We’ve just got to get it done, you know what I’m saying?”

The Cards will look to improve on their 1-4 record as they take the show on the road this Saturday for a game against Roger Williams in Bristol, R.I.