Senior guard Tyler Nicolai drove coast-to-coast and converted a layup in traffic with :04 remaining to snap a 64-64 tie and lift No. 8-ranked St. Thomas past No. 3-rated UW-Stevens Point, 66-64, in Friday's NCAA men's basketball playoff game in Rock Island, Ill.
The Tommies (27-3), who snapped Point's 14-game winning streak, have won nine in a row. Coach Steve Fritz' team is in the NCAA elite eight for the second time in three seasons. The Tommies play Saturday at 7 p.m. against either No. 7-ranked Augustana or unranked Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Alex Healy scored 19 points and Tommy Hannon added 14 points and six rebounds for the Toms, who shot 53% from the floor and had only nine turnovers. Nicolai finished with 10 points. UST had a 15-8 edge in bench points as John Nance had seven points and four assists and Brady Ervin added six points.
The Pointers (26-4), last year's NCAA champion, had their season end at the hands the Tommies for the second time in three years in the NCAA playoffs and lost to UST for the second time this season.
Point, which last led at 16-15, shot 52% and had only 11 turnovers. The Pointers capped a 12-3 run in the final 7:00 as it tied the game with 17 seconds left on Louis Hurd's 3-pointer from the top of the key.
With the seconds ticking away, Nicolai calmly dribbed up court then attacked the basket and banked home a shot from the right side. Point called timeout with :02 to go but its long heave was intercepted to secure the Tommie victory.
Point received 50 of its 64 points from Hurd (19 points), Scott Hoelzel (16) and Jerrel Harris (15).
Click here for box score: