With the tournament already decided, the final night ended up showcasing some of the most exciting games of the tournament to date. The SIEU vs N Colorado for instance went into Double Overtime, while the ACU vs Lock Haven and West Ga vs W Chester were both decided in the final minute. Congrats to shoe and his Abilene Christian squad on winning the first Blue Earth Classic and getting an automatic invitation to the tournament in season 105. Thanks to everyone for their participation and I hope to see everyone back before long.
STANDINGS
Abilene Christian 5-0
West Ga 4-1
Lock Haven 2-3
S Ill.,Edwardsville 2-3
N Colorado 2-3
W Chester 0-5
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
S Illinois, Edwardsville 70 @ N Colorado 80 - 2OT
Key Stat: One stat that stands out for a game that was close enough to go into two extra fames, and that is the turnover differential. N Colorado protected the ball well with 10 turnovers compared to the 25 SIEU committed.
Key Moment: After Gary Hagan hit a 3 with just 4 seconds to go in regulation and SIEU’s Larry Donegan’s basket late in the first overtime sent the game into a second overtime, N Colorado went on a 10 point run to start the last overtime, and that was the deciding factor.
Key Performance: While Joseph Price of SIEU had 25 and NCU’s Russell Capo poured in 24 and received POG honors, PG Bryce Wilson had a very effective game from the point shooting over 50% to get 15 points, while contributing 7 assists and 2 steals.
Abilene Christian 95 @ Lock Haven 92
Key Stat: Lock Haven committed 10 fewer fouls than ACU and shot more effectively from the line, resulting in 11 more points and were nearly able to pull off the upset of the top ranked team.
Key Moment: After coming back from a 12-point halftime deficit to take the lead late in the second, Lock Haven trailed by 3 in the final 34 seconds. A couple of missed free throws and a couple of turnovers in the waning seconds prevented Lock Haven from pull it off.
Key Performance: Rodney Meunier was able to win POG honors with 17 points, 3 assists and 3 steals, but Douglas Woodland had a key role in the win with 5 offensive rebounds as a guard and shooting 6 of 7 from the field.
West Ga 84 @ W Chester 76
Key Stat: Despite each team drawing the same number of fouls and West Chester shooting nearly 90% from the line, West Ga had 13 more Free Throw Attempts, which resulted in 5 more points in a close game.
Key Moment: When West Ga came back from a double-digit halftime deficit to take a lead into the final minute, W Chester still had a chance. However, after being fouled while leading by 3, West Ga’s Jerome Deveau was able to get an offensive rebound after hitting the first shot and turning into a 3-point play. West Ga collected 8 points from the line the last 32 seconds.
Key Performance: West Ga’s Brandon Hinnenkamp won the POG award with 16 points, but W Chester’s Terrance Jones had 22 points and 4 steals in an effort to pull off an upset.