McDaniel hasn?t had a winning record in 23 years and is predicted to finish eighth out of 10 teams in the Centennial Conference. However, for the next year the Green Terror can boast it is the best Division III men?s college basketball team in Maryland.
McDaniel?s claim to that title came Sunday night after the Westminster school edged Hood College, 85-84, in triple overtime in the finals of the Provident Bank Pride of Maryland tournament at Johns Hopkins.
Green Terror junior guard Ryan Finch scored the game-winner on a jump shot with 17 seconds remaining and senior guard Brett Foelber came up with a steal in the final seconds to secure the win. Finch scored 20 points and Foelber had 23 for the Green Terror, who are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 1986-97 season.
“This was just a crazy, intense game,” Foelber said. “I?ve never been a part of anything like this in my college career.”
McDaniel advanced to the championship with a 52-43 win over Hopkins on Tuesday and a 108-96 win over St. Mary?s in Saturday?s semifinals. The start for the Green Terror comes in a year they have a new coach in Kevin Curley, a former Colgate assistant who took over for Bob Flynn who died suddenly last January.
A win for McDaniel looked anything but certain in the second half as they trailed 40-32 with 11:03 remaining in regulation. But, every time the Blazers tried to pull away, the Green Terror would rally back. In the end, the game featured 13 ties and 11 lead changes. This included a lay-up by Finch that tied the score at 66 with 0.4 seconds left in the first overtime. Hood?s Anthony Bennett then tied the game at 78 with a pair of free throws with 13.5 second left in the second overtime. Bennett and Ryan Junghans each scored 17 points and Jesse Gutekunst had 23 points and 25 rebounds for Hood (3-2).
Curley said he is excited about the win for his program and knows the previous Provident Pride winners ? Villa Julie and Hopkins ? made the NCAA tournament. At the same time, he understands it?s a long season, beginning Wednesday with McDaniel?s Centennial Conference opener Wednesday against Swathmore.
“This team has shown a lot of character in this tournament,” Curley said. “We?re going to enjoy this win but we also won?t get too far ahead of ourselves.”
THE NUMBERS:
Here are the results of the consolation games played Sunday at Johns Hopkins:
>>St. Mary?s 94, Salisbury 81 (Third place game): Tyson Lesesne scored 23 points and had 5 assists and Calvin Wise had 18 point and 6 rebounds as St. Mary?s improved to 4-1. Gary Ward had 33 points and 8 rebounds and Greg Palmer had 19 points for Salisbury (2-3)
>>Johns Hopkins 64, Villa Julie 61 OT (Fifth place game): Kevin Roach scored 12 points and had 6 rebounds and Andre Farber-Miller had 9 points as the Blue Jays (3-2) won in a battle between the tournament?s two previous winner. Mike Turner and Greg Woody had 12 points each for the Mustangs (1-3)
>> Washington College 74, Goucher 73 OT (Seventh place game): Tim Kohlrus scored 35 points as the Shoremen (2-2) won despite blowing an 11-point halftime lead. Marcus Cotton had 14 points and 8 rebounds for the Gophers (1-3).
