By Aaron Rodenhausen
Sports Editor
This Thanksgiving, Washington College was grateful for its men’s basketball team, which has delivered a perfect 6-0 season so far. Since Nov. 17, the Shoremen have played four regular games, three of which were away, and none of which ended in defeat.
For the first game of the week, the Shoremen hosted the Valley Forge Patriots on Nov. 17. The home team seized an early 5-0 lead from a layup and a three-pointer from sophomore forward Ty Woodland.
The Patriots were not far behind; they surged ahead to 6-5 within the first four minutes. Scoring remained close for the remainder of the first half, although the Shoremen held a 30-29 lead at halftime.
Freshman guard Jon Nalty scored first for either team in the second half with a pair of free throws. Woodland contributed a free throw of his own that secured the Shoremen’s largest lead of the half, 50-47.
The Patriots followed the WC team closely until the end of the game but could not surpass them. The narrow 68-67 win sent the Shoremen climbing to 3-1 on the season as Valley Forge fell to 1-2.
“Understanding the ball carries energy, and [that] the more people who can touch it, the better,” Woodland said, are key principles the team upheld throughout the game.
Next, the WC team traveled to Rosemont, Pa. to play the Rosemont Ravens on Nov. 19. The Ravens pulled ahead to a 10-8 lead, but the Shoremen went on a 9-2 run that saw the advantage change hands. WC lost the lead again but regained it just before halftime, for a score of 27-24.
The Ravens tied the game 27-27 with the first basket of the second half, but the Shoremen reclaimed their lead on a Woodland jumper. The WC team finished out the night with a 13-2 run that secured the 56-41 victory.
“We struggled a bit in the first half as compared to the second. Our offense was stagnant and lacking pace, and our shots weren’t falling,” freshman forward Leo Becker said. “In the second half, our offense sparked because we started playing with pace, the ball was moving, and we were playing together as a team.”
With that, the Shoremen advanced to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 1985, and Rosemont plummeted to 0-4.
The Shoremen returned to Chestertown on Nov. 22 to play the Springfield College Pride. The home team led in the first half. Woodland earned nine points for WC, and senior forward Davis Bland and sophomore guard Jaedon Harris each added five apiece. WC held a 32-29 advantage at halftime.
The Pride opened up scoring in the second half, tying the game 32-32. Senior guard Ryan Lang was the first to break the stalemate with a three-pointer. On an assist from Harris, Nalty made a layup that widened the gap.
The Pride managed to tie with the Shoremen twice more, until the home team pulled out of a 60-60 draw. WC took the game 75-71 and rose to 5-0 on the season. Springfield slipped to 2-3
The Shoremen were back on the road again on Nov. 24, this time to Reading, Pa. to take on the Nittany Lions of Penn State Berks.
WC claimed a 19-11 lead in the first half, which the Nittany Lions nullified with a 15-2 run that took less than five minutes. However, the Shoremen turned the tables with a 15-6 run of their own, which secured a 43-40 advantage for the away team going into halftime.
WC continued to pull away in the second half and finished the game 70-65. The Shoremen ascended to a triumphant 6-0 on the season as Penn State Berks fell to 1-7.
“It’s definitely a great start to the season, but we are not satisfied,” Becker said. “We are still hungry to keep the momentum going and just have to take it one game at a time.”
Next, the Shoremen are headed to Brooklyn, N.Y. to face the Pratt Institute at 6 p.m. on Dec. 5.
Photo Caption: Sophomore guard Nolan Waldon scored 14 points against the visiting Springfield College Pride.
Photo by Katie Trego