Dream Season Comes To End For No. 2 Men's Basketball With 89-79 Overtime Loss To No. 1 Findlay
Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 25, 2009) – The C.W. Post men's basketball team held a 45-37 halftime lead but could hold on as Findlay University took the Pioneers to overtime and outscored them 12-2 to claim an 89-79 win and advance to the semifinal round of the NCAA Div. II Elite Eight Tournament.
Findlay remains undefeated at 34-0 and will take on Central Missouri, who earlier defeated Gannon University. C.W. Post ends its season at 30-1.
Senior center Lee Roberts led the Oilers with a game-high 23 points on 10 of 13 shooting from the field.
Findlay started the game off hot, registering eight points, including a pair of treys from junior guard Marcus Parker. Senior guard
Kevin Spann (West Babylon, N.Y.) knocked down a three pointer at 17:50 for C.W. Post's first basket.
Findlay maintained its lead over the next five minutes before senior guard
Nick Carter (Huntington Station, N.Y.) banged in a three and C.W. Post claimed its first lead of the game on its next possession with another three from Spann at 12:09.
The Pioneers capitalized on its motion offense and continued to pace the Oilers, 18-7, over the next five minutes and increased its lead to 12 (36-24).
Findlay cut the lead down to eight with a three-pointer from Parker with three seconds remaining in the half. C.W. Post led 45-37 at the break.
In the second half, the Oilers improved their shooting and outscored the Pioneers 13-6 to open the half, taking a 52-51 lead with 14:18 remaining.
The Pioneers quickly reclaimed the lead with a three-pointer from senior guard
Kenny Burkes (Suitland, Md.) at 14:06 and the Pioneers maintained their lead over the next six and a half minutes despite three trifectas from the visiting Oilers.
Roberts pumped in three straight baskets that gave Findlay a four-point lead (73-69) with 3:15 remaining in regulation.
Senior guard
Jonathan Schmidt (Centereach, N.Y.) gave the lead back to C.W. Post with a three-point play at 1:15. Roberts scored another lay-in with 45 seconds remaining and knocked in a free throw after a foul was called on junior forward
Lyndon Daniel (St. George's, Grenada).
Morgan Lewis converted a free throw and Findlay had itself a 77-74 lead with 31 seconds remaining.
C.W. Post wasted no time getting the ball down the court and Burkes issued an outlet pass to Spann who swished a three from the left wing with 20 seconds left. Findlay could not find an open shot as regulation wound down.
In the extra frame, Roberts scored the first basket on a layup at 4:39. Burkes countered with a layup at 4:09 in what would end up being the last basket of the night for C.W. Post as Findlay closed out the game.
Spann led the Pioneers with 20 points while Schmidt added 17 along with five assists. Burkes finished the game with 11 points and added seven assists and one steal.
Findlay completed the game shooting .541 (33 of 61) from the floor and went 14-for-21 from the charity stripe. C.W. Post shot .456 (31 of 68) from field goal range and held a 23-16 advantage in assists. Both teams pulled down 35 rebounds.