Men's Basketball edges out Bantams

Before the Middlebury men’s basketball team could overcome the Trinity Bantams last Saturday, the Panthers headed into last week with one goal: to beat the Green Mountain College Eagles. Upon their exhausting trek to Poultney, Vt., the Panthers knew immediately that they would have their hands full.

They had played in some hostile environments before, but had no experience executing against glorified middle school teams in high school cafeterias, which would apparently serve as the venue for the ensuing contest.

By tipoff, the gym was packed with 63 frenzied Green Mountain College supporters compared to just two for the Panthers.
It also became evident that the title of Green Mountain varsity basketball player was one of the most exclusive in the country, seeing that they had decided to take just seven players on their roster.

Nevertheless, the Panthers appeared to be impervious to the odds stacked against them, opening up to a 38-19 halftime lead. Our beloved Robert Frost once said, “The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the others willing to let them,” and in the first 20 minutes, Andrew Locke ’11 went to work, and the Eagles appeared willing to let him. He finished the half with 12 of the Panther’s 38.

However, according to the account on the Green Mountain College Web site, “The Eagles showed brief signs of life in the second half, cutting the lead to 15.”
Strangely, the recap on the Middlebury site did not interpret the same series of events as a sign of life, as the Panthers cruised to a 76-57 win. Locke also notched 11 boards and four blocks, while Ryan Sharry ’12 and Nolan Thompson ’13 each contributed 11 points of their own.

This past weekend, the Panthers opened up NESCAC tournament play with a quarterfinal victory against Trinity College. The Bantams came out hot, opening up a 15-8 lead through the first nine minutes, and were able to keep the game tight throughout with Middlebury struggling, shooting an uncharacteristic 2-17 from behind the arc.

The teams exchanged blows throughout the second half before the Panthers, up by one at the time, forced a key Trinity turnover in the final minute. Jake Wolfin ’13 went on to hit a pair of free throws and Sharry, who finished the game with 18 points, hit one of his own to ice the game after another fruitless Trinity possession.

Following the game, Locke credited 10-14 Trinity for the backs-against-the-wall attitude that the Bantams brought with them into Pepin, knowing their season would be over with a loss.

“The game Saturday was a little closer than we wanted,” said Locke. “The Bantams played a great game, and with their season on the line, made it a very close game.  The fan support we had was great.  The energy in the gym really helped in the final minutes.”

The next stop for Middlebury is next Saturday at Williams College for the NESCAC tournament semifinals.

A portion of the student body (who account for the support Locke referred to) has already committed to making the trip and any additional backup is both welcomed and encouraged.

The first game will take place against 19-6 Colby College, who probably does not have a chance. The championship game will take place on Sunday contingent on Saturday’s result.