Overview
Amherst clearly has the momentum coming into this game and it’s theirs to lose. While nobody expected this game to be played at Hamilton several weeks ago or after the NESCAC seeding came out, each team now has an uphill battle to claim the conference championship. Williams has looked weak of late but should be healthy after a week off, giving James Heskett enough time to recover from his ankle injury. Additionally, maybe some time off is exactly what the Ephs needed, seeing some tough shooting performances from star guard Bobby Casey. In their quarterfinal victory over Trinity, it looks as if they finally figured something out: balance. During their three game losing streak to Bowdoin, Amherst, and Hamilton, Casey went 9-31 from three-point-range, not on par with his normal standards. He took a ridiculous amount of shots while uber-athlete and maybe the Ephs best weapon, Kyle Scadlock, was underutilized offensively. However, in their 88-77 win against Trinity last weekend, all five starters scored in double-digits and Scadlock finally entered the picture as an offensive threat. He only took five shots, making all of them, but executed well at the free throw line, scoring another 10 points there. Hopefully he is a bigger part of the Ephs’ game plan this weekend like during the 2017 playoff run where he emerged as a legitimate superstar before getting hurt last season. With a big and experienced starting lineup, this Williams team has unlimited potential, but needs to play up to as they are close to seeing their destined playoff run come to an end. In fact, they can hardly view their performance against Trinity as comforting as they were handed a gift of a first round matchup given their low seed. Trinity played well at the end of the year but didn’t have the talent of a fifth seed in the NESCAC and the Ephs took advantage of it. This will be the first real test for the Ephs to see if they’ve adjusted since their skid to end the regular season.
Amherst, on the other hand, has plenty of positives to look at heading into this game: They beat Williams at the end of the regular season, they have been consistent all season, and they haven’t had any injury issues of late. They did, however, lose to Hamilton in the final game of the regular season, losing the #1 seed in the NESCAC tournament, but could have an opportunity for redemption if they beat the Ephs. The Mammoths had a much more difficult first round playoff matchup than Williams, knocking off Wesleyan 63-56, led by a career performance from Fru Che who dropped 30 points. Grant Robinson and Che provide a lethal 1-2 attach for the Mammoths. The duo averages a combined 26 PPG, 9 REB/G, and 4 A/G. Eric Sellew also throws in over eight boards and 11 points per contest too, giving the Mammoths a three-headed offensive attack. Che poses the biggest threat to Williams, however, as the shooter-happy Eph team could be equalized by Che’s 37% efficiency from deep. Amherst also boasts the league’s best defense, allowing under 64 PPG to opponents while Williams is close behind at 65.4 PPG allowed.
Amherst X-Factor
C CJ Bachmann
The senior big man averages 6.7 PPG and 4.6 REB/G but was the key to the Mammoth victory the last time these two teams played. He dropped a double-double off the bench and along with Joseph Schneider, will need to shut down the powerful Williams lineup down low. In order for the Mammoths to have a chance, they will need to hold the rebounding advantage. Williams shoots the long ball better and Bachmann’s play will help keep the ball away from Bobby Casey and into the hands of Che who is Amherst’s most potent offensive threat.
Williams X-Factor
F Kyle Scadlock
I’ve always been a big fan of Scadlock and think that his multi-faceted game is almost impossible to defend. He has touch from anywhere on the floor and is athletic enough to post up down low and compete for boards. He has a way with the playoffs, often finding an extra gear in the limelight, and I can only hope that Coach App includes him heavily in their game plan. If Casey gets cold shooting, Scadlock and Heskett are the Ephs best shot to keep pace with the Amherst offense. Also, Scadlock is a rebounding presence that needs to match up with Eric Sellew and slow him down.
Final Thoughts
The last time these two teams met, Che, Robinson, and Sellew all scored in double-digits to lead the Mammoths to victory while CJ Bachmann and Garrett Day came off the bench to add a combined 24. Because so many players in the Eph lineup have a high ceiling for points, Amherst will need to see a similar shooting efficiency around 50% to take this game. The Ephs didn’t play poorly last time these teams met either, but were painfully outrebounded 44-33 on the night. Scadlock was the only player to collect seven boards while Amherst’s Bachmann had ten off the bench. These two talented teams should duke it out in a close contest, and I don’t see Amherst having such a lopsided defensive effort like they did before. Williams will narrow the gap on shooting percentage (they shot 41% FG compared to Amherst’s 50.8% FG last time) and ride on to the finals against Hamilton.
Writer’s Pick: Williams 78 – Amherst 73