Ephs control the glass and improve to 2-0 in Italy

Como, Italy, August 18,2008

The Williams College men’s basketball team won their second game today against the Valtellina All Stars 106-62 in Morbegno, Italy. The Ephs again played up-tempo and unselfish basketball en route to victory against an Italian team made up of a variety of players from Italy’s B league.

Junior center Joe Geoghegan propelled the Ephs with a dominant performance in the paint, finishing with 23 points. Geoghegan led a crew of Eph big men including Troy Wittington, Ethan Timmins-Schiffman, Grant Meyer, Charlie Cates and Aaron Ford who in tandem performances controlled the offensive and defensive boards. In addition, Eph senior wingman Kevin Snyder continued his hot shooting, hitting four three pointers en route to 16 points on the night.  Junior guard Blake Schultz also finished in double figures with 11 points. All in all, 15 Ephs put the ball in the basket, capping another balanced performance on the court.

Defensively, the Ephs stymied the Valtellina All Stars with a mindset to keep their opponent out of the paint, a determination indicative of the emphasis head coach Mike Maker has placed on playing hard, tough, competitive defense for the entire duration of the shot clock. “I thought our intensity,
communication, and commitment on the defensive end was the difference tonight and created many easy scoring opportunities on the offensive end,” commented Coach Maker. 

Before heading to Morbegno for the game, the Ephs visited Milan, the financial and commercial capital of Italy. The day started with a guided tour of 600-year old Milan Castle. The team and family members stood in awe of the 7-meter thick tower walls that defended the castle from enemy cannon fire.

Following the tour of the castle, the team ventured out into Milan proper, visiting Galleria Victoria Emmanuel, an upscale shopping and commercial venue protected by a glass roof and dome with traditional Milanese artwork on the pristine marble floor.

However, the highlight of the day was the grand cathedral of Milan, Il Duomo, Mariae Nacenti. Begun in the 13th century, the cathedral was completed by a collection of architects over five centuries, and now stands as the third largest cathedral in the world. The cathedral’s 3,000 statues upon numerous spires awed the Eph coalition and inspired members of the team to return during their free time later in the afternoon to climb to the top of the Cathedral and look out over the entire majestic city of Milan - a view that is truly spectacular. “Milan proved to be better than expected as our entire group came away thankful for the opportunity to see such an ancient marvel,” remarked Coach Maker.