| Bryan Powell, right, scored
31 points, but John Nance and St. Thomas advance to the Elite Eight
in Salem. Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com |
Cabrini's ultimate road trip will take the Cavaliers back to Salem, Va., after they defeated No. 20 Wooster 80-73 for their third road victory in the NCAA Tournament.
With the game tied at 48, Kenny Deboer hit a jump shot to give Wooster the lead 50-48. Fran Rafferty answered with a three for Cabrini, which started a 7-0 run that gave the Cavaliers the lead for good. Cabrini held Wooster without a field goal for nearly nine minutes in the second half and held on for the win. Aaron Walton-Moss had 24 points, 12 rebounds and five steals for Cabrini.
Cabrini will be the only team making a return trip to Salem. Illinois Wesleyan's bid to get back fell one game short when No. 3 North Central (Ill.) eliminated the 10th-ranked Titans 83-73. Both teams were hot from the floor with the Titans shooting 57 percent percent and the Cardinals 55 percent. North Central also shot 39 percent from three (7-for-18). Jack Burchett scored 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
Mary Hardin-Baylor ended the game on a 17-5 run to complete its crusade to Salem with a 71-63 win at Whitworth. James Allen scored a game-high 21 points as the long trip was productive for the Cru (25-5). Whitworth had erased a 12-point second-half deficit before faltering down the stretch.
| Cabrini and Aaron Walton-Moss are headed back
to Salem. Cabrini file photo |
No. 1 St. Thomas edged No. 12 Calvin in a 63-62 thriller. Noah Kaiser nailed a 3-pointer with 1:13 remaining to give the Tommies the lead, 63-60. Calvin answered with two free throws, but Bryan Powell, who had scored 31 points already, could not connect on the potential game winner in the closing seconds.
"With the way that they [St. Thomas] plays defense, I knew that there was going to be a lot of isolation," Calvin coach Kevin Vande Streek said. "If Bryan [Powell] was hitting shots, I knew he had a chance to score big."
The three NESCAC teams in the tournament advanced in different styles. No. 2 Amherst jumped on Randolph-Macon early and cruised to a 93-76 victory. Aaron Toomey had 25 points and eight assists for the Lord Jeffs, who meet Cabrini next.
Middlebury edged Ithaca 73-72 on two last-second free throws by Joey Kizel. Ithaca took the lead on a Frank Mitchell layup with nine seconds left. The Panthers inbounced the ball for Kizel who ran down the floor until Andrei Oztemel fouled him near the 3-point line. Middlebury will play North Central (Ill.) on Friday. Box score
Williams ended Virginia Wesleyan's season for the second time in three years. The Ephs beat the Marlins 84-75 to improve to 10-0 at home in the last four NCAA tournaments. Taylor Epley had 26 points for Williams. The Ephs will play No. 1 St. Thomas on Friday.
No. 11 St. Mary's (Md.) ended Morrisville State's unexpected postseason run, 84-66. The Seahawks had four starters and one reserve score double figures. It's the second Elite Eight appearance for St. Mary's.
Merrilee Weston