Hartford, Conn. – Freshman forward Ellen Cook (Eugene, Oregon) had 16 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks, with 12 points, seven boards and both blocks coming after halftime, to lead the visiting Williams College Ephs to an 80-76 overtime win over the Trinity College Bantams in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's basketball action this afternoon on Ogrodnik Court in Oosting Gymnasium. Trinity falls to 9-12 overall with its first loss in three games and closes the NESCAC schedule with a 3-7 mark in the league. Williams finishes its regular season at 19-5 overall and 5-5 in the conference.
Trinity junior guard Carly Napier (Pittsford, N.Y.) opened the overtime with a nice drive for a 74-72 Trinity lead, before a pair of free throw by Cook and a steal and layup by Williams junior guard Grace Rehnquist (Sharon, Mass.) gave the Ephs the lead for good. After a missed free throw and a turnover by the Bantams, Eph junior guard Jennifer Harding (Santa Monica, Calif.) scored on a put-back to give the visitors a four-point edge with 39 seconds remaining. Bantam sophomore forward Taylor Murtaugh (Bronx, N.Y.) made a nice effort to grab a loose ball and make a move to the basket on Trinity's ensuing possession but her drive rimmed out. Cook and Rehnquist each made one of two free throws in the closing seconds to keep the game out of reach.
Trinity led by as many as six points in the first half, 39-33, with just under two minutes left after a fastbreak layup by senior tri-captain guard Michelle Royals (Torrington, Conn.). Williams scored the last five points of the half on a three-pointer by Rehnquist and a short jumper by senior guard Jill Greenberg (Westwood, Mass.) to make the score, 39-38, in Trinity's favor at intermission. Trinity senior tri-captain guard Kaitlin Ciarleglio (Waterbury, Conn.) led all scorers at the break with 12 points, while Greenberg paced Williams with 11 first-half points. The Ephs shot 16-for-28 from the floor and held a 17-to-13 rebounding edge, but he Trinity defense forced 12 turnovers in the opening stanza.
Trinity never led by more than four points in the second half, and Williams held just a handful of one-point advantages. A pair of free throws by Napier gave the Bantams a 70-67 lead with 1:52 left in regulation, but Williams took advantage of three offensive rebounds before a layup by Cook cut the Trinity lead to 70-69 moments later. Ciarleglio broke down the Eph defense for a driving layup with 30 seconds remaining for a 72-69 Bantam lead, but Cook answered with a trey from the top of the key to tie the game at 72-72. Napier's game-winning attempt from the right wing was blocked by Cook as time expired.
Ciarleglio led all scorers with 23 points to go with six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, while Napier added 20 points and six assists. Sophomore forward Shantel Hanniford (Nantucket, Mass.) added 12 points and five rebounds off the Trinity bench, while Royals contributed seven points, a team-high seven rebounds, and four assists. Greenberg scored a team-high 21 points with five assists, while Harding totaled 14 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, and Rehnquist had 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals for Williams.