The third-seeded Middlebury men's basketball team (18-6) came up short in the NESCAC Semifinals, falling 78-61 to fourth-seeded and #21 Williams (17-3). With the win, the Ephs advance to the title contest and will take on top-seeded and host Wesleyan at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Panthers will wait to find out their NCAA Tournament fate when the selection show airs on Monday at 12:30 p.m. 
 
Trailing 11-8, Middlebury had a five-point burst, taking a 13-11 edge on a layup from Sam Stevens at the 11:04 mark of the opening half. Sparked on a three-pointer from Jovan Jones, the Ephs responded with 10 unanswered points to take a 21-13 advantage with 7:13 left on the clock. The Panthers cut the deficit to four (21-17) on a layup from Alex Sobel, but Williams went on a 16-2 run to close out the half with a 37-19 lead. 
 
Out of the break, Middlebury cut into the lead, making it 43-27 with a pair of charity tosses from Stevens at the 16:09 mark. The Ephs continued to increase their advantage, taking the biggest lead of the contest, 66-46, with 7:14 to go. The Panthers responded with a 10-3 run capped on a layup from Noah Osher, pulling within 13 (69-56) with 3:22 remaining. Williams never let Middlebury get any closer as it eased to the 78-61 victory.
 
Sobel paced the Panthers with 19 points, while Stevens was right behind with 18. David Brennan nearly recorded a double-double, tallying eight points and grabbing eight rebounds. 
 
Spencer Spivy led all players with 20 points, while Cole Prowitt-Smith had 17 and grabbed eight boards. Nate Karren chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds.