NO. 9 WILLIAMS FENDS OFF NO. 23 BATES, 60-49

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - In a battle of nationally ranked teams, the Williams College Ephs (19-1) held off a pair of rallies to hand the Bates College Bobcats (17-2) their first loss in the last 19 NESCAC games with a 60-49 victory.

The Bobcats trailed by as many as seven points early, but made a furious rally to take a 22-21 lead into the half. In the second, with the score tied at 29 with just over 15 minutes remaining, Williams went on a run that put them up 12 with 6:46 to play. The Bobcats cut the lead back down to four with under 2:30 left, but the Ephs hit their free throws down the stretch and hung on for the win.

The Bobcats were held to their second-lowest shooting percentage of the season, hitting just 26.8 percent from the field (19-70). Sophomore Kate McLaughlin (Laconia, N.H.) tied for game-high honors with 14 points. Junior Emily King (Lebanon, N.H.) was the only other Bates player in double figures with 10. Williams' biggest advantage came from the free-throw line, where they outscored the Bobcats 14-3 in the second half.

Williams 60, Bates 49

Bates (49): Kate Dockery 0-0-0, Colleen McCrave 4-0-8, Kate McLaughlin
6-2-14, Melissa LaPointe 0-2-2, Amy Taylor 0-0-0, Liz Grace 0-0-0, Sarah
Williamson 2-2-6, Jolene Thurston 1-2-4, Katy Dutille 2-1-5, Emily King
4-2-10, TOTALS 19-11-49.

Williams (60): Laura Brenneman 4-2-11, Melissa Griffin 0-0-0, Liz Tilley
3-4-11, Sara Daigneault 0-2-2, Kathleen Higgins 3-8-14, Nicole Stephens
1-0-2, Robyn Goldman 0-1-1, Katie Effler 0-0-0, Katie Ford 3-0-6, Erin
Duffy 2-0-4, Rebecca Brooks 4-1-9, TOTALS 20-18-60.

Halftime: Bates, 22-21.

3-Pt. FG: Williams 2 (Brenneman, Tilley). Bates 0.

Records: Williams, 19-1. Bates, 17-2.