By Aaron Rodenhausen
Elm Staff Writer
After three consecutive home victories, Washington College men’s basketball team headed on the road, with games against Penn State Abington, Keystone College, and Marywood University.
The Shoremen took their first and only win of the week in a road outing versus Penn State Abington on Nov. 19.
The game started out with the Shoremen just behind the Nittany Lions, until a 7-0 run capped by senior forward Ethan Schwantes put them in the lead 11-5.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Penn State-Abington pushed ahead and took the lead with a three-pointer in the final 39 seconds, taking a 22-19 lead into halftime.
The Nittany Lions overtook the Shoremen again and gained a 34-27 lead about five minutes into the second half, but WC’s decisive run began only 20 seconds later with a layup by freshman guard Nolan Waldon.
With 7:46 left in the game, junior guard Davis Bland would put the Shoremen in the lead for the remainder of the night, bringing the score up to 41-38.
The final score was 56-51, making it the Shoremen’s closest win of the season so far. WC rose to 4-2 on the season.
“For me, the highest point during the game was towards the last six minutes, everything we did as a team led us to a win. We managed to stay ahead by listening to our coaches and trusting each other throughout offense and defense,” freshman guard Nicho Simes said.
The next game was against the Keystone College Giants on Nov. 21.
Keystone opened the game up with a 4-0 lead, but quickly lost it when Bland initiated a 15 point run for the Shoremen.
The Giants managed to close the gap around the eight minute mark, but the Shoremen pulled ahead once more, and the teams went into halftime 41-30.
Freshman guard Ben Costello scored WC’s first points of the second half just four minutes in, catching a defensive rebound and taking it the distance for the fast break score
Not long after, Keystone closed the gap, tying the score. The Shoremen were able to capture the lead one last time, but two free throws and a three-pointer from Keystone tied the game 65-65, with twenty-three seconds left.
Later, a missed shot from the Shoremen gave the ball back to the Giants. Their three-pointer buzzer beater ended the game.
The affair was WC’s closest game of the season and their first loss after a four-game winning streak.
Unfortunately, it would not be WC’s last loss of the week. After lagging behind the Marywood Pacers for the entirety of the Nov. 23 game, the Shoremen were defeated once more.
Senior forward Precieux Tshibangu put Marywood’s early lead into jeopardy with a three-pointer off a pass from junior guard Ryan Lang.
However, that momentum was lost when the Pacers went on a 16-point run shortly thereafter.
By halftime, WC was down thirteen points in a 43-30 deficit.
Davis Bland succeeded in scoring only one minute into the second half, but, after that, the Shoremen were mostly playing catch-up.
Despite a three-pointer from freshman guard Nolan Waldon briefly typing up the score at 62, the Pacers pulled ahead and eventually won 74-66.
The game leaves the Shoremen sitting at 4-4 overall this season.
Overall, it was a disheartening series of games after recent back-to-back successes. Still, the team has not let the last week affect their spirits.
“Our team is constantly in pursuit of improvement both individually and as a unit. There will be plenty of ups and downs this year, but if we continuously work to learn from each experience and get better, we will see growth as a team. We are far from a finished product. No one who strives ever is,” Assistant Coach Chris King said.
WC has already tied their win total from last season following their fourth victory of the campaign. This has been a theme under Coach Corey Begly, who alongside Coach King, has led the Shoremen to a better record than the previous season in both of his campaigns with WC.
Next, the Shoremen will host the Rosemont College Ravens on Dec. 18. The team will then enjoy a break for the rest of the month.
The Shoremen will not take the court again until Jan. 2 when they travel to Notre Dame of Maryland University. The Shoremen will also commence Centennial Conference play after the new year, starting with a road match with the Ursinus College Bears on Jan. 11.