Middletown, CT- The Mules traveled to Wesleyan University this afternoon, February 20th, to take on the number one seed, 22-3, Cardinals. The two teams played in the quarterfinal of the NESCAC playoffs, as the Mules beat the eight seed, Hamilton College, in the first round. Colby certainly entered this matchup as an underdog simply because Wesleyan looks to be a juggernaut in the conference. With that context, the Mules put up an extraordinary fight against the Cardinals but ultimately fell short, losing 82-71.
The teams were deadlocked by the end of the first half, heading into the second tied up at 32-32. In the half, Colby shot 40.00% from the field and 28.57% from three. Usually, that type of shooting isn't good enough to win a game against a strong opponent, thus the Mules should be proud they had the game tied through good defense, play making, and rebounding. Colby forced Wesleyan into tough shots, which they struggled to make. The Cardinals shot 37.14% from the field and 15.38% from three, an undeniably low number that was impacted heavily by terrific defense.
In the second, The Mules unfortunately were not able to keep a grasp on the game. Colby was outscored 50-39, but they left it all on the court and should be proud of their performance during the game and the entire season. The team shooting percentage was 44.74% from the field and 25.00% from three point land. Wesleyan simply turned it on in the second, shooting 60.61% from the field and 33.33% from three as a true number one seed is supposed to be able to do.
Matt Hanna played his final game as a Mule today and deserves recognition for what he has accomplished. He's been a great leader for the team and commands respect on the court. Just from watching its clear that Hanna is a great player and everything he does isn't necessarily shown on the box sheet. He masterfully controls the flow of games, directs the offense, and gets a bucket when he needs to. He also plays solid defense and offers everything he can to the team. In terms of what does show on the box sheet however, Hanna finished with 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Hanna had a great college career and Colby Basketball owes him a great amount of gratitude.
Noah Tyson arguably had the best game of any Mule, finishing with a double double. Tyson scored 14 points, brought in 11 rebounds, dished out five assists, and added a block. The other player to arguably have the best game was
Will King who finished with 21 points on 10-18 shooting, eight rebounds, seven assists, and a steal.
Colby Men's Basketball will now look towards the future, hoping to build off the successes of this year and push further into the playoffs next year.
