The Williams College Ephs (1-2) defeated the Johnson State Badger (0-3) by a score of 94-59 Thursday night in Williamstown, Mass. 

Senior captain Hayden Rooke-Ley led the Ephs with 36 points, all of which came from three-point range. For the Badgers, Rob Hazard led the pack in scoring, tallying 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists on the night. 

Williams' Rooke-Ley opened the scoring with a quick three, the first of many in the game, after Williams won the opening tip, but Hazard was able to answer in short order to even the game. This would serve as the model for much of the rest of the first half, with neither team able to build a lead greater than four points until within the 5-minute mark.

With the score 25-22 in Williams' favor, Rooke-Ley sunk a three to give the Ephs a six-point lead. After the Badgers were unable to convert on their next possession, Mike Greenman pulled up and nailed another trey from the top of the key. A foul shot by Ryan Kilcullen put the lead into double digits with 3:18 remaining in the half. Johnson State was unable to mount a serious challenge to that lead in that time, and the score at the half was 39-28.

The first half was characterized by fast-paced, exciting offensive basketball from both sides. Both teams started heating up after a frigid start shooting; Williams made 44.8% of their shots, while Johnson State sunk 41.9%.

The Eph defense appeared to effectively disrupt the Badger offensive attack; they were forced to rely on the shooting of Hazard and the athletic play of Vernon Slater. The Ephs relied heavily on their three-point shooting; 62% (18 of 29) of their field goal attempts were from behind the arc.

Coming out of the half, the Badgers cut into the lead with 5 quick points, but then the Ephs took control, launching on a ten-point run. Rooke-Ley sunk a three-pointer, and, following a block in the paint by Kilcullen, Greenman drove hard to the hoop to knock in two more. Rooke-Ley nailed another trey, and Dan Aronowitz converted two more points on a fast-break lay up to put Williams ahead by 16, 49-33.

Johnson State worked the lead down to 11 at one point, but the Ephs caught fire from behind the arc, sinking eight three-pointers in a row over the course of 7 minutes, including four by Rooke-Ley.

With the lead comfortably around 20, both teams pulled their starters. The Ephs continued to sink bucket after bucket, and the final buzzer sounded with the score at 94-59.

Rooke-Ley, in addition to setting a new Williams College record for most three-pointers in one game (12), led all scorers with 36 points. Rooke-Ley scored all of his points from behind the line, never even attempting a 2-point field goal.

Williams will travel to Middletown, CT to face Little Three rival Wesleyan on Saturday, while Johnson State continues a tough road trip at Amherst against the Lord Jeffs on Friday.