Feb 08, 2011
MADISON, Wis. - In stark contrast to the first time they played, Edgewood College and Maranatha Baptist battled through a physical, grinding game at the Edgedome on Tuesday night. The Eagles overcame a slow start to knock off the Crusaders 81-70 and clinch home court advantage for a NAC Tournament quarterfinal game in two weeks time.
On January 18, the Eagles and Crusaders combined for just 12 turnovers and 26 free throw attempts in a cleanly played 57-55 Edgewood College victory. Tonight in Madison, the same two teams committed 31 turnovers, shot 52 free throws and watched three players foul out.
Eagle sophomore Cashton Craig scored the first bucket of the game, but the Crusaders answered with seven straight points, compelling Edgewood College head coach Todd Adrian to use a wake-up call timeout and pull his starters from the game. The Eagles still trailed 13-6, six minutes into the game before they returned to form. Sophomore Michael Gehring made two free throws before Craig and junior Ben Wisniewski nailed back-to-back three-point baskets to give the Eagles a lead they would never surrender. The Eagles took a 33-24 lead in the locker room at halftime.
Edgewood College (15-7, 11-3 NAC) scored the first eight points of the second half on a short jumper by Gehring, a three-point shot by Craig and a three-point play by sophomore Kent Faurote The Eagle lead over Maranatha Baptist (7-14, 2-11 NAC) would swell to as many as 18, when a Derek Nkemnji layup with 15:46 to go gave the Eagles a 49-31 lead. The Crusaders' Tim Shelp would hit a couple of three-baskets down the stretch to pull the Crusaders within 10 points, but Edgewood College made seven of 10 free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
Edgewood College senior Jeff Barczak scored four straight baskets midway through the first half and finished the first 20 minutes with 14 points. He would go on the lead five Eagles in double figures with 20 points. Craig hit both of his three-point attempts and finished with 16 points. Wisniewski and Faurote each chipped in 14 points, with Wisniewski leading the team with four assists. Nkemnji scored 10 points, while Justin Williams came off the bench to lead the Eagles in rebounds with seven.
Maranatha Baptist was led by Josh Stein, who scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds a handed out a game-high five assists before fouling out. Tim Shelp scored 15 points and Brendan Brown added 13. Joel Borchardt led all players with 11 rebounds. The Crusaders, like the Eagles, went 18-for-26 (69.2 percent) from the free throw line.
Edgewood College, who is fourth in the nation in field goal percentage, shot 57.7 percent (30-for-52) to improve their season average to 51.3 percent. Barczak, who ranks ninth in the country, went 9-for-13 from the field to improve his season field goal percentage to 64 percent.
Edgewood College can now finish no lower than second place in the Northern Athletics Conference's North Division, guaranteeing the Eagles a first round home game in the NAC Tournament. Concordia University Wisconsin can secure the North Division crown with one victory in their final three regular season games. The Eagles will travel to Wisconsin Lutheran College on Saturday, before a showdown with the Falcons on February 15 at the Edgedome.
On January 18, the Eagles and Crusaders combined for just 12 turnovers and 26 free throw attempts in a cleanly played 57-55 Edgewood College victory. Tonight in Madison, the same two teams committed 31 turnovers, shot 52 free throws and watched three players foul out.
Eagle sophomore Cashton Craig scored the first bucket of the game, but the Crusaders answered with seven straight points, compelling Edgewood College head coach Todd Adrian to use a wake-up call timeout and pull his starters from the game. The Eagles still trailed 13-6, six minutes into the game before they returned to form. Sophomore Michael Gehring made two free throws before Craig and junior Ben Wisniewski nailed back-to-back three-point baskets to give the Eagles a lead they would never surrender. The Eagles took a 33-24 lead in the locker room at halftime.
Edgewood College (15-7, 11-3 NAC) scored the first eight points of the second half on a short jumper by Gehring, a three-point shot by Craig and a three-point play by sophomore Kent Faurote The Eagle lead over Maranatha Baptist (7-14, 2-11 NAC) would swell to as many as 18, when a Derek Nkemnji layup with 15:46 to go gave the Eagles a 49-31 lead. The Crusaders' Tim Shelp would hit a couple of three-baskets down the stretch to pull the Crusaders within 10 points, but Edgewood College made seven of 10 free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
Edgewood College senior Jeff Barczak scored four straight baskets midway through the first half and finished the first 20 minutes with 14 points. He would go on the lead five Eagles in double figures with 20 points. Craig hit both of his three-point attempts and finished with 16 points. Wisniewski and Faurote each chipped in 14 points, with Wisniewski leading the team with four assists. Nkemnji scored 10 points, while Justin Williams came off the bench to lead the Eagles in rebounds with seven.
Maranatha Baptist was led by Josh Stein, who scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds a handed out a game-high five assists before fouling out. Tim Shelp scored 15 points and Brendan Brown added 13. Joel Borchardt led all players with 11 rebounds. The Crusaders, like the Eagles, went 18-for-26 (69.2 percent) from the free throw line.
Edgewood College, who is fourth in the nation in field goal percentage, shot 57.7 percent (30-for-52) to improve their season average to 51.3 percent. Barczak, who ranks ninth in the country, went 9-for-13 from the field to improve his season field goal percentage to 64 percent.
Edgewood College can now finish no lower than second place in the Northern Athletics Conference's North Division, guaranteeing the Eagles a first round home game in the NAC Tournament. Concordia University Wisconsin can secure the North Division crown with one victory in their final three regular season games. The Eagles will travel to Wisconsin Lutheran College on Saturday, before a showdown with the Falcons on February 15 at the Edgedome.