Ford triple sparks OT win, 80-73
SAGU to play Thursday at 7:45pm (CST)
Lions knock down 11 three-pointers
WINONA LAKE, Indiana -- Junior guard James Ford (Victoria, Tx / Faith Academy) popped a clutch three-point basket that gave the Southwestern Assemblies of God University men's basketball team a lead they never relinquished, 71-70, sparking an 80-73 overtime victory over The Master's College on Wednesday afternoon.
In a tight second half that saw the score tied nine times and the lead change hands six times, it was only fitting that Wednesday's quarterfinal clash between #4 seed SAGU and #5 Master's College (Cal) be decided in overtime.
Ford, who took a pass from Dominique Rambo (Dallas, Tx / Oklahoma Wesleyan Univ, Trinity Christian School) and stroked the triple from the left wing, hit four-of-five shots and finished the game with 13 points. Rambo led all scorers with a game-high 20 points.
The Lions advance to play on Thursday at 7:45pm (CST) against the top-seeded Cedarville University (Oh) (21-9) at approximately 7:45pm (CST).
Southwestern’s game will be broadcast by the Game Plans Sports Network on video livestream. Visit the Grace College website for access to the free service or go to http://www.gpsnonline.com/watch-live/
Eight teams are competing for the National Christian College Athletic Association's 2012 championship this week in Northern Indiana.
Game Recap; First Half
The Lions started strongly, and then struggled before regrouping to battle the Mustangs basket for basket until the end of regulation. Then, they surged ahead in overtime and pulled away to improve their record 26-10.
Physical play inside was a two-edged sword for the Mustangs (19-15). Led by players who gobbled up rebounds and points,
Master’s overcame a 14-point first-half deficit. It also led to more free throws for SAGU, who converted 15-of-24 tries.
Still, even with the Mustangs’ display of strength, SAGU managed to have a 41-38 advantage in rebounds, including 12-9 on the offensive glass.
Two other areas combined to benefit Southwestern enough to produce a win; three-point field goals and ball protection. The Lions made 11 triples and just 12 turnovers, compared to the Ponies’ seven and 15.
Southwestern started the game with a bang when Rambo made a three-point play just three seconds after Mike Nwelue (Lewisville, Tx / Lewisville HS) won the opening tip.
They stretched to lead to 14-3 on a pair of plays by Ford.
He grabbed an offensive miss of a Caleb Feemster (Addison, Tx / Trinity Christian Academy) three-ball and, netted the putback despite being angled sideways in the paint. Moments later he spotted Christian Wood-Dvorak (Halletsville, Tx / Halletsville HS) alone at the top of the key. Connectamundo!
As the Mustangs began to cash in on interior match-ups, head coach Donnie Bostwick countered with Mo Oglesby (Arlington, Tx / Zion Academy). He took a dime from Rambo on the right block and scored with authority for an 18-10 lead.
Rambo swiped the ball from Casey Trujeque and went coast-to-coast with the most, then sent a pass to the left wing, where Craig Grigsby (Houston, Tx / Glenda Dawson HS) knocked down his second triple for a 23-13 margin at 10:23.
Dvorak forced a turnover under the basket and turned it into points when Jonathan Walter (Garland, Tx / Garland HS) wristed a trifecta from near the apex of the arc. The 29-15 lead grew to 32-18 following a trey from the right wing by Ford on a Feemster helper at the 7:40 mark.
The Mustangs began executing better offensively behind the play of guards Leif Karlberg and Devin Dyer, with drives and jumpers while finishing some well-applied interior screens for baskets.
Two scores from 6-foot-6 Chris Patureau, a Texas native, drew the blue-cladded Mustangs to within 32-28, capping a 10-0 run.
The half ended when Patureau’s short toss to 6’8 Anthony Wells led to an up-and-under move for a basket that sliced SAGU’s lead to 36-34 at recess.
Second Half Review
The second stanza continued with more of the same from Master’s, who are from Santa Clarita, California.
Dyer and Karlberg found the range and, after Paul Brown retrieved an offensive carom, Anthony Cammon drained a three from the top of the key to lead 41-36.
The 23-4 stampede would be the most impressive stretch of play for the Mustangs. They could not sustain it.
Implored by Coach Bostwick to keep working and playing through the Master’s show of resistance, SAGU fought back.
The remainder of the game was fiercely contested, with teams exchanging big shots with defensive stops.
Ronald Horne (Waco, Tx / Univ of N.Texas, Waco HS) snapped off a three-ball from the left edge with an assist from Rambo, and SAGU would come back. A Grigsby pass led to a Rambo triple that deadlocked the score at 58.
The Mustangs hindered their cause in the final five minutes with a pair of lane violations that negated made free throws. Holding a two-point lead, a traveling citation on a wide-open layup opened the door for the hungry Lions.
Trailing 65-64 with thirty seconds to play, the team needed a score desperately.
They got it from Grigsby, the fearless sophomore guard. With the ball at the elbow, he bolted down the right side of the lane, cut inside, and leapt towards the rack. Amid the larger Steeds, he delayed his shot momentarily, and then converted from point-blank range.
Fouled, his ‘and one’ toss lifted the Lions into a 68-66 lead with 0:15 to play.
Cammon, TMC’s top scorer during the season, scored the equalizer when he found a seam in the defense and bagged an eight-footer that softly kissed off the glass. SAGU failed to get off a shot in the final three seconds.
Overtime: tied at 68
As the Lions broke from their huddle prior to overtime, Coach Bostwick’s charge was clear: “Everything you do, do it strong!”
And they did.
After missing two shots and committing a turnover, the Lions were about to seize control of the game.
Ford told Rambo to “look for me on the side.” Seconds later he did just that, flipping a dart to the six-foot junior on the left side.
“He got it to me in perfect rhythm,” Ford said. Feeling his mojo, he gunned it. Bullseye! SAGU led for good, 71-70.
A steal by Horne was sent to Rambo. He slashed inside and, airborne, was cutoff. He flicked a backhanded pass to Dvorak in the corner. From the right, the freshman with the corkscrewed locks eschewed a pass back to Rambo on the block and, instead, triggered a trey. Magnifique! 74-70, Lions.
‘Bo added another assist with forty-two seconds left when Nwelue stroked a perimeter jumper from 14-feet for a 76-71 upper hand.
SAGU put it on ice as Horne and Ford each sank a pair of free throws in the final thirty ticks
Statistics; Player and Team Totes
Rambo finished with 20 points, six assists and three steals – all game-high honors. Ford and Dvorak came off thicse bench, each making 4-of-5 shots. The former had 13-points, the latter racked up 11 with eight boards.
Grigsby also chipped in with 11.
Horne’s game included six points, seven rebounds, two dimes and two thefts. Duce Ward (Waco, Tx / Univ. of N.Texas, Connally HS) had a quiet nine-point, six boards, and two blocked shots. Nwelue added four points and six caroms.
Dvorak led the downtown discharges with three makes, followed by Grigsby, Rambo and Ford with two apiece.
For the game, SAGU made 41% of their shots while The Master’s converted 45%. In extra time, in which the Jungle Kings outscored the Mustangs, 12-5, SAGU connected on 3-of-6 shots compared to the Ponies’ 2-of-10.
On the charity stripe, Southwestern made all four of their tries. TMC went 1-of-5.
Wednesday Quarterfinal Results
The sixth-seeded Emmanuel College (Ga) upset #3 Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn), 73-66 in Wednesday’s opening game. Another surprise came next when Hope International (Cal) stunned the defending champions from Dallas Baptist University. The #7 Hope Royals edged the #2 Patriots, 63-58.
Emmanuel will play Hope at 6:00pm (CST) on Thursday for a berth in Saturday’s 4:00pm (CST) final.
After Southwestern’s 80-73 overtime win against Master’s, the #1 seed, Cedarville University (Oh) rolled past #8 Truett-McConnell (Ga), 88-68. They outscored the Bears, 53-37, after halftime.
Contact: Mark "Link" Warde, Sports Information Director
