Ephs win opener in Italy vs. C League team

Como, August 18, 2008

The Williams College men’s basketball team played their first game tonight against Castellanza Select after their second day of touring Como and its surroundings.

The Ephs pulled out to an early lead going up 13-1 in the first four minutes, a lead that they never relinquished on their way to a 101-34 victory. The game was an auspicious beginning of new head coach Mike Maker’s career with Williams. Prior to the game, the excitement was tangible as the team prepared for their first game since the end of the 2007-2008 season.

This excitement manifested itself in the Ephs’ impassioned play from the get-go. Fifteen Ephs found the basket playing tremendously unselfish basketball, led by senior co-captain Kevin Snyder who scored 15 points on five three-point field goals.  The team saw glimpses of the spectacular from sophomore forward Troy Whittington, who excited the crowd with two monstrous dunks on his way to an 8-point performance. Meanwhile, senior point guard Tommas Golia wowed the crowd with a handful of no-look passes. 

However, the Ephs are keeping this win in perspective as the Castellanza Select team is an Italian C-league team, and they will face more competitive teams from the Italian A and B-leagues in the next week.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the unselfish play, the effort and the enthusiasm that our team displayed in its first outing,” said Coach Maker. “We hope to gain some momentum from this performance as we prepare to play a more competitive schedule in the coming days.” Tomorrow the Ephs will play Valtellina All Stars in Morbegno, one of the two B-league teams on the Ephs
schedule. 

“It was awesome to finally get to play with the guys again,” commented junior wing Blake Schultz. “I know everyone has been working hard all summer and it was exciting to see the progress everyone has made. One thing that I am glad hasn’t changed is the unselfish nature of the team. The extra passes and hustle plays that are so rare in summer pick-up games excited the bench and brought me back to our strong start last season.  I can’t wait to see our continued progress throughout the week on the court, and more importantly, to enjoy the new relationships with our coaches as well as the existing friendships with my teammates.”

Before the game, the Eph coalition had the good fortune to take a sight-seeing cruise of Lake Como with an hour visit of the quaint lakeside village of Bellagio. Along the way, the group shared part of Lake Como with Hollywood, passing by the villas that hosted the sets of Oceans 13, Casino Royale, and Star Wars. However, most captivating was the charming villa that America’s own, George Clooney frequents while not captivating audiences with his entertaining thievery.

The beautiful village of Bellagio rests on a peninsula in the middle of Lake Como. The village hosts many artisans of different crafts and is home to one of the nicest views of Lake Como and the surrounding mountains. Junior point guard Mike Moorstein commented, “It’s a completely new experience. It’s difficult to not feel somewhat insignificant here as a result of the awe inspiring scenery and the history. But overall, it’s been an incredibly meaningful and significant experience already.”

Indeed, the vast expanse and beauty of Lake Como and its surroundings are particularly humbling when considering the region’s history and the millions of years necessary for the formation of such an exquisite landscape.  

“From a cultural standpoint, the scenes on Lake Como and the small village of Bellagio took our breath away,” remarked Coach Maker. “Our players, coaches and parents felt privileged to be part of such an enriching experience and we look forward to many more inspiring sites.”