“Once we got into overtime, we could not hit shots and we had turnovers,” GWU head coach Tim Craft said. “That’s on me. I should have done a better job coaching and getting the team better shots in overtime.”
Caleb Robinson opened the game with a three and Aldridge scored in the paint. By the time Brendan Mykalcio had a steal and dunk, GWU led, 7-5. The Runnin’ Bulldogs had several backdoor plays snuffed out by the Asheville defense, but a three-point play by Ademide Badmus gave them a 12-11 advantage at the 11:44 mark of the first half.
Isaiah Richards followed with a three-point play of his own to make the tally 15-11, but GWU missed three shots from point-blank range in the paint. This allowed Asheville to go on a 7-0 run to claim an 18-15 lead. Seldom-used reserve Shahar Lazar scored four straight points, but Asheville still held a 20-19 lead.
The game continued to swing back and forth. Drew Pember hit a pair of threes, but the Runnin’ Bulldogs went inside. Richards scored on a pair of post moves, while Aldridge converted a driving layup. Lazar then hit a three from the corner, and Aldridge converted a beautiful backdoor layup. As a result of that late flurry, GWU led, 34-31, at the break.
Ashville opened the second half on an 8-2 run to reclaim the lead. Josh Banks expanded the lead to 44-40 with a triple. DQ Nicholas answered with a pair of free throws, but Asheville kept a working margin until Buddy Simmons and Julien Soumaoro hit back-to-back treys. After Soumaoro converted an old-fashioned three-point play, GWU led, 51-48.
Pember answered with an Asheville triple and tied the game at 54. The lead changed hands on every trip down the floor until Lazar hit a three to give GWU a 60-58 lead at the 6:46 mark of the second half. Lazar and Pember then traded triples, but it was a putback by Robinson that gave GWU a 65-62 lead with 3:51 left in the game. The teams could not separate themselves the rest of the way as the game went into overtime.
In the extra session, Gardner-Webb fell apart, turning the ball over four times and going without a field goal.
MUTUAL RESPECT: Even though both sides battled for 40 minutes, it’s clear that the coaches respect one another.
“Tim Craft is a heck of a coach,” UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell said. “He can take his guys and beat you, and then he can take your guys and beat you. Gardner-Webb is the only team to beat us twice this year, so we knew it was going to be tough.”
LAZAR FOCUS: Seldom used reserve Shahar Lazar had a career night. The freshman from Israel was 6-of-8 from the floor with 18 points in just over 14 minutes of play.
“It’s been a tough year for me personally and in the team, but I always tell coach that I am ready when he needs me,” he said. “My teammates did most of the work. They found me in good spots and the shots kept falling. I just wish I had hit one more shot or played just a little better on defense.”
REFLECTING ON THE SEASON: Even with the loss, Gardner-Webb finishes the season at 17-16 after facing a brutal non-conference schedule.
“It’s always tough when it’s over,” Craft said. “But we had a great season. The 11-5 conference record is tied for the best season since I have been here. I think we got better every game and we were just a few possessions away from a regular season title and one possession away from playing for a championship tomorrow. It hurts right now, but this season is something we can look back on and be proud of.”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.