By Aaron Rodenhausen
Elm Staff Writer
The last month has been rough for Washington College men’s basketball; the Shoremen have faced a defeat for just about every victory. Nonetheless, the team may be gaining back momentum as early as the end of the week.
The first game of the week took place at Swarthmore College on Jan. 22. The Garnet dominated the match’s opening minutes, scoring 15 of the first 17 points. However, 8 of the next 10 points would go to the Shoremen, cutting Swarthmore’s lead to 17-10 on a three-pointer from freshman forward Ben Costello.
The Garnet were not shaken. They went on a devastating 16-0 run that upped their lead to 33-10 going into halftime. The Garnet continued to outscore the Shoremen in the second half, though each team managed to more than double its own number of points.
The game ended 67-28, with the Garnet improving to 11-5 overall and 3-1 in the Centennial Conference, and WC falling to 6-10 and 1-3.
However, the week’s second and final game took place on the Shoremen’s home court and ended with a 63-53 WC victory over Haverford College.
The Shoremen started out strong, with freshman guard Nolan Waldon landing a three-pointer in just the first four minutes. Only a few minutes later, the Shoremen were lagging behind, 14-11, until a couple of points, including a basket from freshman forward Ty Woodland, closed the gap once more. Even so, the Fords held a three-point lead as the two teams went into halftime.
The Shoremen opened the second half with Waldon sinking a jump shot only 20 seconds in. The Fords held their 43-36 lead until there were only around 15 minutes remaining; then the Shoremen began their comeback. Waldon continues to be a force for the Shoremen offense on the court, averaging 12.2 points per game.
“Something I’m working on and will continue to work on is becoming more vocal and being a leader on the court and telling my guys where to be,” Waldon said. “Also watching film is something that I have been doing to reflect on what I need to do in the games moving forward and to help me with my development throughout my whole career.”
Senior forward Precieux Tshibangu started the run with a three-pointer on an assist from freshman guard Nicho Simes. Senior forward Ethan Schwantes sank two free throws after that, and another three-pointer from Tshibangu finally secured the lead for WC.
The Shoremen dominated the remainder of the half, ending things with a final score of 63-53. The Shoremen advanced to 7-10 on the overall season and 2-3 in the Centennial Conference, while the Fords slid to 5-12 and 2-3 respectively.
Regardless of the team’s overall performance, its individual players have been giving their all this season. Schwantes was recognized with a Shoreman of the Week award on Jan. 20, his first ever. Schwantes won the honor for multiple career and personal bests that he had achieved in just the last few weeks. He was also nearly perfect from the foul line against Haverford, going 7-8.
It is clear that the whole team will have to follow his example if they want to carry this momentum forward. Next week they will face Franklin & Marshall College at home on Jan. 25 and play Gettysburg College on Feb. 1 in Pa.
Photo by Darius Kesey.
Photo Caption: Shoremen basketball has earned their second Centennial Conference victory of the season as they look to return to the postseason.