UCSD Starts Fast, Finishes Slow, Loses

Mike Longe and the rest of the Nebraska Wesleyan men’s basketball team got an early dose of March Madness Saturday.

UC San Diego Coach Tom Marshall just got mad.

Longe scored 14 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as Wesleyan overcame a 10-point, first-half deficit and defeated the Tritons, 77-75, in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament at Taylor Gym.

“This is March Madness, and that was the type of game you like to play in,” Longe said. “During our last timeout (with 44 seconds left) Coach (Todd) Raridon asked if we were having fun. I was.”

Raridon said he had fun during the second half despite 19 lead changes. The Tritons took their last lead, 67-66, with 7:30 to go.

Wesleyan guard Lance Anderson responded with a three-point play to put the Plainsmen in front, 69-67. UCSD tied the game four times in the next four minutes, but Wesleyan took the lead for good, 77-75, with 2:02 left. Forward Kirk Penner scored Wesleyan’s last eight points and finished with 17.

“This is the type of game you work all year for,” said Raridon, whose 22-5 Plainsmen will play Illinois Wesleyan Friday. “Every game is big, but we’re at the point where it’s one loss and you’re out.”

Marshall said he didn’t enjoy the finish. The Tritons (20-7) had several chances to tie in the final two minutes. Guard Tim Rapp missed a pair of free throws with 1:44 remaining, and Gordon McNeill missed a six-foot jump shot with 56 seconds left.

The Plainsmen ran the clock to 15 seconds, and Longe missed a 17-footer with two seconds showing on the shot clock. UCSD’s Darvin Jackson grabbed the rebound and called a timeout. The Tritons tried to set up a play, but with four seconds left, Jackson was whistled for traveling. Wesleyan inbounded the ball, and Nick Orduna ran out the clock.

Marshall said the Tritons tried to isolate forward Rick Batt down low for the last shot, and if he was not open, to reverse the ball to Rapp. Batt finished with 14 points and Rapp had 19.

“But then we got called for traveling,” Marshall said. “It could have been a good call, I don’t know.”

Marshall was also upset about a technical foul he received with 1:03 left in the first half that allowed the Plainsmen to get back into the game.

The Tritons led 40-28 with 4:54 left in the half, but Wesleyan cut it to 40-33 on a Kent Lightbody free throw and baskets by Matt Green and Longe. Green scored with 1:03 left and was fouled. Marshall went out to talk to the official and was whistled for the technical.

Green missed the free throw that would have completed a three-point play, but Anderson hit both technical free throws and then a three-pointer to tie the game at halftime.

“All I was doing was questioning whether (Green) fouled someone to get the ball and the official comes over and gives me the technical,” he said. “I didn’t even say anything to him yet. That really hurt us.”

Longe said the Plainsmen played better defense in the second half, which resulted in the victory. The Tritons’ biggest lead of the second half was three points. Wesleyan’s biggest lead was four.

“The first 15 minutes of the game, we weren’t playing hard,” Longe said. “But after that, we picked the defense up a notch. We kept it up all during the second half.”

McNeill said the Plainsmen’s experience showed down the stretch. This is the seventh consecutive year Wesleyan has been in the NCAA Division III tournament. The Tritons were making their first appearance.

“It helped them because they’ve been there before,” said McNeill, who led the Tritons with 23 points. “They won the game, but we’re a team to watch out for. We want to win it all next year. We won’t settle for just getting into the playoffs.”

Anderson scored 23 points to lead the Plainsmen, 11 of which came in the first half. Longe scored 10 in the opening half.