Camels surprise No. 7 Middlebury, not themselves
Conn College 60 Middlebury 49
The possibility of an upset grew stronger as the game progressed Friday night at Luce Field House.
But could Connecticut College really take down No. 7 Middlebury?
The Camels certainly believed and played that way until securing a 6049 victory.
The score may surprise people around the New England Small College Athletic Conference, but not the Camels.
“We’re definitely not surprised,” said junior David
Murray, who fin- ished with team highs for points
(17) and rebounds (10).
The fact that the Camels pulled it off says a lot about what coach Tim Sweeney has done with the program since being hired in 2019.
Under Sweeney’s guidance, the Camels have improved each season. At 14-9, they’ve posted the program’s most wins since going 17-8 in 200708. They’re 5-4 in the NESCAC and on track to qualify for the league tournament.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth,” Murray said. “Coach Sweeney really focuses on player development and just getting us better every day. He’s definitely done a great job turning this program around.”
Sweeney felt good about his team’s chance on Friday despite playing without injured point guard Cam
Schainfeld.
“We lost a key player to injury, our point guard who just does so much for us,” Sweeney said. “He’s a good kid and we’re heartbroken for that. But we had a great week of practice. Our guys really put their heads together and they’re committed. We talk a lot about just trying to get better. And I think we got better this week.
“We didn’t know if that would allow us to beat Middlebury, so we focused on what we could control.”
Come game time, Conn College focused on playing sound, aggressive defense and fighting a bigger opponent on the boards. The Camels limited the Panthers (19-4, 7-3) to 27.7 percent shooting.
“We strive every day to be great with defense in practice,” Murray said. “That’s what kept us in the game.”
They also responded to every Middlebury charge after grabbing a 2622 halftime edge.
When Middlebury rallied to take a 41-37 lead, Conn College gradually surged back in front for good. Andrew Hartel scored inside to give the Camels a 44-43 advantage.
Backed by a raucous crowd that roared its approval with every big basket and defensive stop, the Camels gradually extended the lead, riding a competitive heart and aggressive defense to the finish line.
“This is a really hard place to play,” Sweeney said “We get great crowds.