March 20, 2010

Wis.-Stevens Point Tops Williams 78-73 in NCAA Men's Basketball Championship

Courtesy Williams Sports Information

SALEM, Va. – A forty-minute championship contest for the Ephs was short-circuited by a 22-5 run over six minutes in the second half by the Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers who topped the Ephs 78-73 to win the 2010 NCAA crown.

With the win, Stevens Point improves to 29-4 and the loss gives the Ephs a final ledger of 30-2 and snaps their 21-game in-season win streak. This marks the second time Wisconsin-Stevens Point has defeated the Ephs in the championship contest, having also prevailed in 2004, 84-82.

“I thought the difference in the game was the assist to turnover ratio,” said Eph head coach Mike Maker. “They had a 2-1 and we were 1-2 … we played well enough to win, we just ran out of time. We needed more scoring opportunities and they got six more shots than we did.”

“We teach humility through success,” said Maker. “We’re going celebrate a successful season tonight, but we are disappointed we could not bring a championship back to Williams.”

“It was another classic game between two great opponents,” said Stevens Point head coach Bob Semling. “We showed tremendous courage with 10 minutes left to finish the game with a victory.”

A free throw by Troy Whittington at 11:02 boosted the Eph lead to 10, 54-44. but over the next six minutes the Pointers fashioned a 22-5 run to take a 66-59 win with 5:02 left.

A three-point play by Jared Jenkins and a three from the left corner by Dan Tillema got the Pointers back to within 6, 56-50. After an empty trip down the floor by Williams Stevens Point got another three from Tillema and then tied the contest on a three from the top of the key by Louis Hurd at 8:12.

A soft left hand baby hook by Troy Whittington gave the Ephs a 58-56 advantage, but Tillema re-tied the contest with a jumper of his own.  Whittington then made one of two charity tosses to give Williams a one-point lead at the 7:30 mark. Unfortunately, for the Ephs, that would be their last lead of the contest.

A driving layup by W-SP’s Matt Moses that he banked off the glass from the right side gave the Pointers the lead 60-59 with just under six minutes left. Jared Jenkins then scored the next six points of the game with a three and a traditional three-point play and with 5:02 left the Pointers were up 66-59.

The Ephs refused to quit and a James Wang steal from Matt Moses at midcourt resulted in Wang hanging in the air in the lane, drawing contact, and laying the ball high off the glass for two and a free throw opportunity. Wang’s make from the line cut the Pointers’ lead to two, 69-67, with 1:15 left.

Tillema then hit two free throws and Blake Schultz hit one of two and Stevens Point had a 71-68 lead with 41 seconds left. Troy Whittington was called for a foul on Matt Moses in the corner on the in-bounds pass and with 39 ticks left, Moses made both free throws and the Pointers were up 73-68, but not for long as Nate Robertson burst into the paint and hit a floater off the glass to make it 73-70 with 33 seconds remaining.

Again the Ephs came with full court pressure and this time Robertson was called for fouling Moses in the backcourt and the Pointer senior again converted both shots and the lead was back to five, 75-70.

With 15 seconds left W-SP’s Jerrel Harris made it 76-70 by making one of two charity tosses. The Ephs’ last thrust was highlighted by a deep three from Blake Schultz with eight seconds left, cutting the Pointer margin to three.  However, the Pointers escaped the Ephs’ full court pressure and Matt Moses made the final score 78-73 with a layin.

Blake Schultz led the Ephs with 20 points, Troy Whittington added 19, James Wang netted 17, while Alex Rubin chipped in with 11. Matt Moses led four Pointers in double figures tallying a game-high 22. Jared Jenkins notched 17, Dan Tillema had 15 and Louis Hurd netted 10.

The Ephs out rebounded the Pointers 35 to 26, but lost the ball 14 times on turnovers to just eight errors for the Pointers.

With the 37 points between them Schultz (615) and Wang (554) became the highest scoring Eph duo in history with 1169, eclipsing Mike Nogelo ’98 and Matt Hunt ’99 who tallied 1129. Schultz is the fourth player to go over 1600 points in his career and is only the second Eph to score 600 in a season.

NCAA All-Tournament Team:  Tyler Sanborn, Guilford; Ephs Troy Whittington and Blake Schultz, and from Wisconsin-Stevens Point Jared Jenkins and the tourney’s Most Outstanding Player, Matt Moses.

“I thought the difference in the game was the assist to turnover ratio,” said Eph head coach Mike Maker. “They had a 2-1 and we were 1-2 … we played well enough to win, we just ran out of time. We needed more scoring opportunities and they got six more shots than we did.”
 
“We teach humility through success,” said Maker. “We’re going celebrate a successful season tonight, but we are disappointed we could not bring a championship back to Williams.”
 
“It was another classic game between two great opponents,” said Stevens Point head coach Bob Semling. “We showed tremendous courage with 10 minutes left to finish the game with a victory.”
 
A free throw by Troy Whittington at 11:02 boosted the Eph lead to 10, 54-44. but over the next six minutes the Pointers fashioned a 22-5 run to take a 66-59 win with 5:02 left.
 
A three-point play by Jared Jenkins and a three from the left corner by Dan Tillema got the Pointers back to within 6, 56-50. After an empty trip down the floor by Williams Stevens Point got another three from Tillema and then tied the contest on a three from the top of the key by Louis Hurd at 8:12.
 
A soft left hand baby hook by Troy Whittington gave the Ephs a 58-56 advantage, but Tillema re-tied the contest with a jumper of his own.  Whittington then made one of two charity tosses to give Williams a one-point lead at the 7:30 mark. Unfortunately, for the Ephs, that would be their last lead of the contest.
 
A driving layup by W-SP’s Matt Moses that he banked off the glass from the right side gave the Pointers the lead 60-59 with just under six minutes left. Jared Jenkins then scored the next six points of the game with a three and a traditional three-point play and with 5:02 left the Pointers were up 66-59.
 
The Ephs refused to quit and a James Wang steal from Matt Moses at midcourt resulted in Wang hanging in the air in the lane, drawing contact, and laying the ball high off the glass for two and a free throw opportunity. Wang’s make from the line cut the Pointers’ lead to two, 69-67, with 1:15 left.
 
Tillema then hit two free throws and Blake Schultz hit one of two and Stevens Point had a 71-68 lead with 41 seconds left. Troy Whittington was called for a foul on Matt Moses in the corner on the in-bounds pass and with 39 ticks left, Moses made both free throws and the Pointers were up 73-68, but not for long as Nate Robertson burst into the paint and hit a floater off the glass to make it 73-70 with 33 seconds remaining.
 
Again the Ephs came with full court pressure and this time Robertson was called for fouling Moses in the backcourt and the Pointer senior again converted both shots and the lead was back to five, 75-70.
 
With 15 seconds left W-SP’s Jerrel Harris made it 76-70 by making one of two charity tosses. The Ephs’ last thrust was highlighted by a deep three from Blake Schultz with eight seconds left, cutting the Pointer margin to three.  However, the Pointers escaped the Ephs’ full court pressure and Matt Moses made the final score 78-73 with a layin.
 
Blake Schultz led the Ephs with 20 points, Troy Whittington added 19, James Wang netted 17, while Alex Rubin chipped in with 11. Matt Moses led four Pointers in double figures tallying a game-high 22. Jared Jenkins notched 17, Dan Tillema had 15 and Louis Hurd netted 10.
 
The Ephs out rebounded the Pointers 35 to 26, but lost the ball 14 times on turnovers to just eight errors for the Pointers.
 
With the 37 points between them Schultz (615) and Wang (554) became the highest scoring Eph duo in history with 1169, eclipsing Mike Nogelo ’98 and Matt Hunt ’99 who tallied 1129. Schultz is the fourth player to go over 1600 points in his career and is only the second Eph to score 600 in a season.
 
NCAA All-Tournament Team:  Tyler Sanborn, Guilford; Ephs Troy Whittington and Blake Schultz, and from Wisconsin-Stevens Point Jared Jenkins and the tourney’s Most Outstanding Player, Matt Moses.
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