Men's Basketball Overcomes Slow Start

Author: Dan Russel

The Middlebury College men's basketball team began their season at the Lopata Classic in St.Louis (Mo.) against the sixth ranked team in Division III, Washington University in St.Louis. The Panthers were able to keep stride with the Bears at first, holding the lead with eight minutes to go in the first half. The Bears then broke the game open in the second half, eventually winning 99-68. It was, however, a promising sign for the Panthers and a clear indication of the work that they need to do in order to compete with teams of that caliber. They then fell to Trinity University (Texas) in the consolation game and entered last Tuesday's game against the College of St. Joseph (Rutland, Vt.) still looking for their first win. The Panthers struggled in the first half, as St. Joseph's was able to hold them in check with a stifling 3-2 zone defense, forcing Middlebury into a half-court game and cutting down their transition opportunities. Both teams struggled to score, and the Panther's defense kept them in the game, limiting the Fighting Saints to only 39 percent shooting in the first half.

The Panthers entered halftime with a three-point lead, however. In the second half, the Panthers made the necessary adjustments and pressed the Saints heavily on offense, as they began getting easy baskets in transition. They were spurred on by David Coratti '04, who, in a memorable play at the very beginning of the half, narrowly saved a ball from going out of bounds and lofted it up court, leading to an easy basket. Coratti had a brilliant all-around game, chipping in 10 points, six assists and seven rebounds as well as making both of his three-point attempts. He acted as a catalyst for the team, opening up the floor for the Panthers, who were able to successfully push the ball up court and score in transition from that point on.

Middlebury's shots also began to fall with more consistency as they established their inside-outside game, successfully working the ball inside to co-captains Eric Bundonis '03 (10 points, five rebounds) and Chris King '02 (12 points, four rebounds, as well as two blocked shots) down low, forcing the St. Joseph's zone to collapse. This in turn opened up the perimeter for guards John Donnelly '04 (11 points), Koby Altman '04 (16 points) and Coratti who were a combined six-of-12 from behind the arc. Point guards Altman and John Verzosa '04 also did a great job of distributing the ball and leading the Panther charge with eight assists The Panthers got a very balanced attack, as all five starters scored in double figures. Freshman Eric Skaar '04 was also impressive coming off the bench, scoring nine points on four-of-seven shooting. The Panthers came together offensively, outscoring St. Joseph's 42-33, shooting over 50 percent as a team in the second half and earning their first win, 75-63.

"We're working hard in practice, and after the actual games everyone starts to feel a little bit more comfortable. The team is beginning to gel. After every game we're that much more confident . . . we're being counted out in the New England Small College Athletic Association (NESCAC), but if we come out and play hard and play smart, we have the potential to surprise a lot of people " said Bundonis.

On Thursday, Nov. 29 the men's basketball team fell to Hamilton, 83-92, in their first home game of the season. However, they rebounded quickly topping Massachusetts College, 95-67 on the road on Saturday, Dec. 1. The men look forward to a home game versus Johnson State on Thursday, Dec. 6.