Tale Of Two Halves

Tonight in the semi finals of the USA South Basketball Tournament in Everett Gym on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan College the state of Georgia brought two teams  to Carolina  and took on two teams from the Tar Heel State and when the Gym lights dimmed Saturday the two teams from Georgia will play for the title.

The opening game Covenant took care of Greensboro College 91-84 and in the nightcap LaGrange over comes a 15 point halftime disadvantage and destroys the Battling Bishops dream of a regular season and tournament championships and an invitation to the D3 Big  Dance.

The Panthers came out of the box exploding three point baskets making six the first five minutes of the game and led by ten points.  Then the Battling Bishops picked up the the defense and for most of the remainder of the half the Bishops out rebounded, out ran and out shot the Panthers to lead at the half by 54-39 .

The Bishops had 11 fast break points in the first half but the Panther decided their only chance was a walk it up the court half court game and by doing that the Bishops offense stalled and had only 2 points off fast breaks in the second  half.

The Panthers tied the game at  71 all and at that point number 24 Drew Vanderbrook decided it was time to make five straight threes and during the last ten minutes the Bishops  never got a flow to cut the lead that reached 12 down the stretch.  The Bishops forced  to foul the Panthers were near perfect at the foul line.  Final LaGrange 99 Battling Bishops 87.

Justyn Olsen led the Panthers with 26 and three teammates had 19 each, Mark Wagner,Braxton Ford and Drew Vanderbrook.  The Bishops had five to hit double figures led by Adrian Moore 19, Isaiah Alston 18, Brandon Brown 14, D J Weaver 13 and Marcus Williams 12.

The question now for the 20-7 Bishops is there any way to Make  the NCAA D 3 Playoffs by not winning the automatic USA South Bid?Talking with Rikki Rich Sports Information Director at Wesleyan The so called D 3 Power ratings had LaGrange as the fourth seed in the South Region  and NCW 5th.

 Here is what the Bishops don't need is for every other conference tournament being played to have upset winners and a low seeded team win their conference tournament and push ahead of the Bishops.  The biggest thing of all that the Bishops  don't need is for Covenant to beat LaGrange Saturday and win the USA South automatic big and LaGrange still ahead of the Bishops getting an invite.  Sure won't be three teams from the USA South in the Tournament.