MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In a matchup that had all the makings of an instant classic heading in, the thousand-plus on-hand were gifted a game for the ages as these storied rivals battled for 45 minutes in a back-and-forth contest that featured 20 lead changes and 16 ties, all of which culminated on center court with the Wesleyan men's basketball team celebrating as NESCAC Champions.
 
The top-seeded Cardinals (24-3), playing in front of packed Silloway Gymnasium for the second straight day, locked horns with the Ephs (16-4) in a game that had everything. Neither side led by more than seven points throughout. Even after Wesleyan went up 78-72 with seven seconds left in overtime, Williams banked in a three with three seconds left and after two missed Cardinal free throws, had a halfcourt heave land just a few feet short at the buzzer, which sent the Wesleyan players and faithful into all-out hysteria celebrating a 78-75 title-clinching victory on Sunday afternoon.
 
 
This marks the second NESCAC Championship in program history and the team's first since 2015. Making their third NESCAC title game appearance, all of which coming within the last seven years, a terrific regular season paid major dividends as the top-seeded Cardinals played the championship weekend on their home floor. And just one day removed from a thrilling 70-67 semifinal win over Trinity, a second straight three-point playoff win for Wesleyan sealed a terrific postseason run, who will now head to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Gaining the NESCAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament as league winners, Wesleyan now prepares for the program's fourth trip to the national tournament where the Cardinals last played in 2018. Official seedings and regional locations will be determined Monday at 12:30 PM on the NCAA Selection Show.
 
 
The third meeting between the Cardinals and Ephs this season had the billing perfectly made for a NESCAC title game as both sides were playing at full strength for the first time this season, as both prior meetings in 2021-22 featured injuries and COVID in-actives throughout each lineup.
 
As fans poured into Silloway right up to the opening tip, they were energized right away with a positive start that saw the Cardinals score on their first two trips down the floor. Jordan James '22 hit a hook shot in the lane on the game's first possession while Preston Maccoux '23 hit a baseline floater to make it 4-2 Cardinals in the early going.
 
Williams answered right back, silencing the home crowd with a 9-2 run as Jovan Jones scored five straight points before Cole Prowitt-Smith hit a tough jumper in the paint over a Cardinal defender and Brandon Roughley bullied his way for two points deep in the lane to make it 11-6 Ephs just 5:11 into play.
 
A Maccoux three-pointer was the start of series of point-producing possessions for the Cardinals as Gabe Ravetz '23 followed with a driving floater and James connected once more on a hook shot from down close. Antone Walker '22 then came off the bench and tore up the Williams defense for seven consecutive Cardinal points, the last of which coming on a pull-up jumper that made it 20-17 Cardinals midway through the first half.
 
However, the game kept seesawing from one side to the other as Williams followed with a 7-0 run to claim a 24-20 lead with eight minutes left in the stanza. Balanced scoring from the Cardinals kept the score close as this time it was Shackylle Dezonie '23 who got involved, converting a three-point play on a drive to the hoop followed by a mid-range make that lowered the gap to one. Then a few minutes later, it was Maccoux lofting a pass to James who rose up and dunked to give Wesleyan a 27-26 advantage.
 
Williams' top two low post threats went to work in the final minute-plus as Brandon Roughley muscled his way to two points followed by Nate Karren who's make gave the Ephs the 31-29 halftime lead.
 
It was a quick start to the second half for Wesleyan as Maccoux grabbed an offensive rebound, went back up for two points and was fouled to convert a three-point play. Dezonie then connected off a feed from Nicky Johnson '25 and suddenly it was 34-31 Cardinals less than a minute into the half.
 
The lead changed hands several times before Wesleyan rattled off an 8-0 run where Johnson hit from three, Walker converted an and-one and Maccoux drove the lane for two and suddenly the Cardinals were up 46-39, holding the largest lead of the game for either side at seven points.
 
That seven-point cushion was short-lived as Brandon Arnold stole an errant pass and dribbled all the way uncontested for a layup which ignited the Williams bench and helped turn the tables for a 9-0 Ephs run.
 
In the face of the hard-charging Ephs, the Cardinals went to Walker as the senior, 1000+ career point scorer hit a key basket in the paint to stymie the Williams run. James then threw down a thunderous alley-oop off an inbounds as Maccoux lofted a pass for James who timed his jump perfectly, finishing the play with a dunk that was met with a deafening roar from the home supporters.
 
 
Williams then answered back and led by three points on two different occasions, only to see Wesleyan answer right back both times as the game headed into the final five minutes of regulation. Sam Peek '22, who missed a majority of the game with foul trouble, connected for his first field goal with 4:59 remaining in the second half that gave the Cardinals a 57-56 lead. Maccoux then hit a driving layup to the left of the lane and Johnson pulled up for a deep two that forced a Williams timeout as the Cardinals led 61-56 with 3:39 left.
 
Coming out of the timeout, it was the Ephs who punched back and tied the score just 52 seconds later and even took the lead on a Karren triple with 1:57 left. Both sides missed shots on two straight possessions before Spencer Spivy committed a costly turnover with 53 seconds left. Peek was fouled on the ensuing possession, missing the first and making the second to tie the score at 64 with 38 ticks left.
 
With no timeouts left, the Ephs managed a pair of decent looks from three-point range in the closing seconds as Karren hit back rim before Spivy hit the front rim as the horned sounded with the two sides tied 64-64, sending the NESCAC title game into overtime.
 
In that extra session, Prowitt-Smith hit a tough fallaway jumper on the opening Ephs possession but James answered a minute later, finishing off an alley-oop lob from Johnson to tie the score. Johnson then looked for his own shot as the first-year pulled up in the face of an Ephs defender and swished a go-ahead three-pointer with 2:54 left in OT.
 
 
Williams retook the lead thanks to consecutive makes from Karren deep in the paint, only to see Ravetz connect on a fallaway jumper along the baseline with 1:35 left.
 
With the pace at a fever pitch, Jovan Jones drove the lane for two but the Ephs lead was again short lived as Maccoux hit a pair of free throws before Johnson made a dynamic drive down the lane, coasting towards the basket and somehow converting for a layup, managing to get hit shot off between multiple Eph defenders at the basket.
 
Free throws loomed large down the stretch the Ephs missed from deep on consecutive possessions, with the Cardinals in-turn making 3-of-4 from the charity stripe to lead 78-72 with seven seconds left. Showing fight to the very end, Prowitt-Smith banked in a triple with three seconds left and an immediate foul sent Johnson to the line who missed both free throws. Spivy rebounded the ball and with no timeouts, he was forced to heave from across halfcourt only to see the game-tying three attempt fall a few feet short of the rim.
 
 
Wesleyan's NESCAC title run saw key contributions up and down the lineup as Maccoux and James tied for the team with 18 points apiece. Maccoux went for 18 points with six rebounds and four assists while hitting all five of his free throw attempts. James was a monster all-around, finishing with 18 points (6-6 FG, 6-8 FT), 13 rebounds (six offensive) and three assists in 39 minutes, the last 11+ seeing him play with four fouls.
 
Johnson took awhile to get going but his makes down the stretch loomed large in the final result as the rookie chipped in 10 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals in 43 minutes of action. Dezonie chipped in nine points and four rebounds while Walker came off the bench and netted 12 points in 19 minutes.
 
 
Karren led the way with a game-high 19 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists but he struggled from the floor, finishing 7-for-17. Prowitt-Smith added 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
 
Wesleyan looks to continue its best season in the program's 120-year history in the NCAA Tournament where the Cardinals are set to make their fourth appearance, all of which coming since 2015.