| #8 Knights' 2nd half sizzle chills #17 Cougars |
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Tues., Feb. 17, 2004 FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Something about the University of Saint Francis brings out the best in the Marian College 3-point shooters. No. 8 MC connected on 11 3-pointers to beat No. 17 USF 82-72 at Hutzell Athletic Center and the Knights clinched at least a tie for the Mid-Central Conference championship. MC shot 50 percent (7 of 14) from 3-point range in the first meeting in January to win 85-77. The Knights, who finished hitting 11-of-25 from 3-point range (.440), came into the game last in the MCC in 3-point field goal percentage at .327 percent and in MCC play at .309. "I didn't have a problem with them hitting two or three," USF coach Jeff Rekeweg said about the MC long range accuracy. "I felt we forced them to take some shots that were a littler farther out than they wanted and they hit them. I don't feel like we gave up many easy shots, and yet they hit 67 percent in the second half." The Knights (19-4, 10-3 MCC) reached double figures in 3-pointers for the fifth time this season and finished one short of their season high of 12 against Bethel on Jan. 27. BC used a 15-6 outburst in the first six minutes of the second half to take control and hand the Cougars (17-14, 8-5 MCC) their first loss at home in seven conference games. David Meece, who led MC with 21 points, drilled two 3-pointers in that run for MC. USF (9-2 at home overall) cut the lead to six, 64-58, on a John Jamerson 3-pointer with 4:04 to play, but could get no closer. The Cougars, who have lost five straight over the last two seasons to the Knights, charged to a 28-26 lead on a Jamerson basket from the baseline late in the first half capping a 12-0 run. But MC took the lead for good right before the end of the half on a 3-pointer from Travis Bunch. "That was frustrating," Rekeweg said. "They get a second chance, pick it up and knock down the 3 right before the half. Nick (Ankenbruck) and John (Gensic) struggled. John had one open 3 in transition and his shot was way off to the right. That's not like John." Gensic, who averages 11.7 points a game, managed just two points. Ankenbruck, who averages 8.4 points a game, finished with six points. "And then you look at Trey (Eaton) and it's hard for me to believe that a player as big and strong as he is only gets to the line twice," Rekeweg said. Eaton came into the game No. 6 in NAIA Division II free-throw shooting percentage at .913 hitting 146-of-160. Eaton and Jamerson shared high-scoring honors for the Cougars with 15 points apiece. Eaton scored 11 in the second half. Dusty Beucler had 11 for USF, which finishes the regular season at Goshen (3 p.m.) on Saturday. Meece scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half including 3-for-4 shooting from 3-point range. Tim Adams added 17, 11 in the second half. Jordan Dever had 12 points and Travis Bunch 10. "Our guard didn't do a good job of keeping track of Meece," Rekeweg said. "He went to the glass and nobody was around him." MC shot 67 percent in the second half hitting 14-of-21 shots, 57 percent from 3-point range on 4-of-7 shooting. MC hit 7-of-18 from 3-point range in the first half (.389). The Knights connected on 25-of-49 shots for the game, 51 percent. MC finishes the season on Saturday with a home game against Bethel. The Cougars shot 47 percent in the second half hitting 16-of-34 shots. USF connected on 11 of 29 in the first half for 38 percent. In the second half, the Cougars managed just 9-of-16 from the free-throw line and finished 11-for-18, 61 percent. USF leads NAIA free-throw shooting percentage at .784. "It's frustrating because with Huntington beating Taylor, if we'd have won tonight, we head to Goshen with the inside track for the No. 1 seed in the tournament," Rekeweg said. "Now we're a game behind Huntington and have to win at Goshen to get the No. 2 seed."
-- GO USF -- |