December 8, 2023: Roger Williams defeats 13th-ranked Trinity (CT) in key non-conference victory

RWU led by 11 at the half and never looked back

Photo from rwuhawks.com of Katie Galligan, who had 21 points in Thursday’s win

Even last night, when we had a somewhat light slate of games, we found ourselves with some surprising results and close battles as the evening went on. You just never know, and that was on full display as several contests played out across the country.

Look no further than in the game involving the highest nationally-ranked team. #13 Trinity (CT) was upset by Roger Williams on the road, 62-56, marking the Bantams third loss in their last five games. As Scott Peterson correctly pointed out, this loss does not greatly impact Trinity’s situation as it relates to Pool C or making the NCAA Tournament. But it is significant for RWU, who was 5-2 coming into the game, and had put up some solid performances in the early part of this season.

Playing on their home court, RWU jumped out to a 31-20 lead at the half, and despite a strong effort from Trinity over the final two quarters, the Bantams were unable to get any closer. This was a game in which the stats were extremely even, with neither side shooting especially well (Trinity, 34.9%, RWU, 34.7%), the rebounding margin +3 in favor of Trinity, and RWU having six fewer turnovers than the Bantams. Getting to the free throw line may have helped RWU’s case the most, as the Hawks got the charity stripe for 35 attempts, converting on 24. That number stands out, especially as Trinity finished just 7-of-11 at the line.

For RWU, it was a really impressive victory heading into a multi-week winter break before the schedule resumes on Dec. 31 against St. John Fisher. The Hawks are definitely the frontrunner in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. And expect a highly-motivated Trinity team to battle MIT tomorrow…that is going to be a fantastic matchup.

Tufts was put on upset alert by Emmanuel as well, which came as a surprise to me, considering how well Trinity had played against Emmanuel on Tuesday. But Tufts trailed by two against the Saints after the opening quarter, before outscoring Emmanuel 25-11 in the second quarter. Inconsistencies have challenged Emmanuel throughout this year, but credit to the Saints, who fought back very much made it a game in the fourth quarter, putting up 20 points in the final 10 minutes.

As far as inconsistencies go, I could say the same thing about Tufts. It’s been hard to know what to think of the Jumbos at points this season, and the results are indicative of that. You had the 71-53 loss to RIC, but then the 72-54 win over RWU. A 20-point win over a decent Colorado College team, and a 3-point loss to MIT. That’s part of what makes non-conference play so interesting. Emmanuel is definitely a better than what its 3-6 record shows, and Tufts got the win. Getting the win is ultimately what matters at the end of the day, and I am interested to see how Tufts fares against NYU tomorrow. That is going to be the game of the day, without a doubt.

And if we want to talk about fourth-quarter rallies, take a look at what Brandeis did last night. The Judges entered the final 10 minutes trailing by nine against Bridgewater State, but fought back and outscored the Bears 25-15 in the fourth, winning 80-79. Katherine Vaughan’s layup with eight seconds left put Brandeis in front, and BSU never got a final shot off, turning the ball over with two seconds left. Considering the fact that Brandeis opened the game trailing 24-12 after the first quarter, the fact that the Judges got the win is that much more impressive. It may have been the most exciting finish of any game played last night.

Brandeis has been at the bottom of the UAA for a handful of seasons now, but this year’s team may end up being better than we thought. The Judges are 4-6 now, and played RWU especially close earlier in the year, falling 64-58.

McMurry was a team that sat towards the bottom of the American Southwest Conference just a few short years ago, but you wouldn’t know that now. The Warhawks, under the direction of second-year head coach Drew Long, a former Division I men’s assistant coach, are rolling right now. The momentum started last season, when they posted a 12-13 record, winning nine more games than they did in 2021-22. But in 2023-24, McMurry is sitting atop the league standings, tied with Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Warhawks are 6-1, with the lone loss coming to UDallas, and wins over Schreiner and ETBU. Granted, ETBU isn’t playing especially well right now, but the Tigers did take down Hardin-Simmons last Saturday, so I’ll count it as a notable win regardless. More importantly, McMurry is 3-0 in league play, something not even Hardin-Simmons has on its resume at this point. It seems that with McMurry playing at a higher level, and HSU being a solid Top 25 team, the road to the ASC title may travel through Abilene.

I’ll have a short post about games to keep an eye on tomorrow coming first thing in the morning. So stay tuned for that early tomorrow! As for today, I’d keep an eye on Schreiner and #23 Whitman. Whitman is 5-1, and has had about a week to refocus after the loss to Willamette. Schreiner’s record is just 2-5, but the Mountaineers play a fast-paced style that is predicated on staying aggressive and getting to the free throw line. It’s a unique style that has a chance to catch opponents off guard, especially early in games. 7:00 p.m. ET tip-off in that one. Find the full slate of games today on D3hoops.com.