WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – (Williams College Sports Information) Taylor Epley scored 27 points in 26 minutes to help the Williams men's basketball team defeat Connecticut College (5-10, 0-4 NESCAC) 96-63 today.  The Ephs (14-1, 4-0 NESCAC) took the lead from the opening tip-off and did not let up.

"We've had a tough stretch, playing three in a row against top 25 teams," Connecticut College Head Men's Basketball Coach Tom Satran said. "Williams is awfully good and they shot so well and so consistently today that it was hard for us to keep up."

The Ephs were out to a quick 10-0 start, but the Camels looked to get back in it following a timeout.  With Connecticut unable to convert, though, Taylor Epley and Daniel Wohl hit back-to-back threes for the Ephs.  The Camels finally scored their first points of the game on a baseline three-pointer by Jared Shill just under five minutes into the game.

After trading hoops, the Camels were within striking distance of a single-digit lead, but Matt McCreary finished a pull-up jumper in the middle of the lane to make it 20-6 with 12:39 to play.  A couple possessions later, Michael Mayer had a beautiful spin move in the lane to push the lead to 16. Nate Robertson then went two-for-two from the charity stripe to add to the Ephs' lead.

Connecticut finally scored again off of a pretty move in the lane from John Bullit.  On the next Camel possession, he added another bucket off of an assist from Bryan Gross to cut the lead to 14. Robertson, however, responded with another pair of free throws for the Ephs. After the Ephs got a pair of free throws from Parker McClelland and a third from Mayer, Matt Vadas hit a jumper for the Camels.

The Camels began to get back in the game with an 8-0 run. Following Mayer's pretty finish of an and-one opportunity for the Ephs, Bo McKinley swooshed a three-pointer from the top of the key.  On the next Camel possession, he forced a foul in transition and made both free throws.  The Camels then cut the lead to just 12 after Vadas nailed a long ball from the right baseline.  Epley, however, responded calmly for the Ephs with a long ball of his own from the top right part of the key. After trading hoops, Klemm hit a huge three-pointer for the Ephs from the top of the key with just over a minute to play to push the lead back to 16.  Robertson then had a drive to the hoop for two.  Bullit hit a reverse lay-up for Connecticut to end the half as the Ephs went into the locker room with the 42-26 lead.

To start the half, Connecticut looked to get back in the game.  Shill finished a drive to the hoop and was fouled.  He converted the three-point play. Mayer, however, nailed a long three for the Ephs.  After Vadas hit a jumper for Connecticut, McClelland swooshed a three from the left baseline to push the lead back to 17.

The Ephs continued to pull away on the shoulders of Epley, who scored 17 of the Ephs' next 23 points. He finished an and-one opportunity in the paint before hitting a long ball and then a jumper.  McClelland then finished inside for the Ephs before Epley hit yet another three ball. Mayer and Klemm added a lay-up apiece to push the lead to 65-44 with just over ten minutes to play. Epley then made a lay-up and was fouled. He converted the three-point play before making another long ball to end the run with the Ephs up 71-44.  Despite tough play from Connecticut on both ends of the floor, Epley's hot hand proved too much for the Camels as the Ephs won their fourth league game.

In addition to Epley's 27, the Ephs got 17, 12 and ten points from Mayer, Robertson and Wohl respectively.  Williams was 53.7% from the floor on the day.

Leading the way for the Camels was Vadas with 23. He moved into 13th place on the program's All-Time Scoring List with 1,132 points. Shill was the only other Connecticut player in double digits with 14. The Camels were 37.7% from the field in today's match-up.