WINTER PARK, Florida – Hustle, energy, poise, and sheer determination in crunch time were on full display, as The College of Wooster men's basketball team overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to knock off 11th-ranked Calvin University 66-64 in the championship game of the Steve Moore Sunshine Shootout on Tuesday afternoon at Rollins College.
Calvin (8-2) had a chance for a one-point win at the buzzer, but Jalen Overway's desperation 40-footer was nowhere close to going in. Prior to that, defensive MVP Uchenna Egekeze was out of control driving to the basket, and as a result, an unsettled layup was off the mark. Egekeze's miss came following a free throw by MVP Jamir Billings that put Wooster (7-2) up 66-64 with :15 left in the game.
Senior Turner Kurt's singular effort down the stretch elevated the play of Wooster's entire team. He beat Calvin to a loose ball in the corner and saved it from going out of bounds with 6:37 remaining. The scramble sprung junior JJ Cline open for a triple, and Kurt cashed in with his third assist of the game. Cline's long-range shot gave Wooster its first lead since the first six minutes of the game.
Cline's triple set off a series of five lead changes over the next 1:46. Wooster took the lead for good on first-year Vinni Veikalas' driving layup with 4:51 remaining. Next, Billings picked Overway's pocket, then Kurt's layup upped Wooster's lead to 60-57. Junior Elijah Meredith's offensive rebound gave Wooster another chance two possessions later, and Kurt's turnaround jumper in the paint was on the money. Kurt upped Wooster's lead to 65-59 at the 1:22 mark with his fourth three ball of the day.
Wooster started strong, with Billings' step back jumper from just outside the paint staking the Scots to an early 9-5 lead. Calvin answered back with a 14-3 stretch to take a 19-11 lead near the first half's midpoint. That lead grew to 40-26 at halftime.
Wooster's six second-half three-pointers helped fuel the comeback. Overall, the Scots were 53.3 percent (16-of-30) from the floor over the final 20 minutes of play.
Kurt's 16 points led the Scots. He made 6-of-8 field goals and Wooster outscored Calvin by 13 during his 29:55 of court time. Billings and senior Najee Hardaway scored 12 points apiece, with Hardaway's four assists marking the top effort on the afternoon.
Wooster shot 47.3 percent (26-of-55) overall and separated itself from Calvin on points off turnovers, 19-9.
Egekeze's 21 points led all players. He got the job done at the line, finishing 9-of-12. The lengthy guard had a game-high five steals.
Calvin shot 51.2 percent (22-of-43) from the field and had a sizable 32-23 edge in rebounding. However, Calvin turned the ball over 18 times to Wooster's 11.
Augsburg University (3-8) held on for a 64-60 win over Emerson College (5-5) in Tuesday's consolation game. Augsburg blew a 10-point lead in a game that featured eight second-half lead changes. All-tournament team honoree Bradley Winter hit the game-winner with :27 remaining, then iced the game at the charity stripe with :08 on the clock.
Jarred Houston, Emerson's 6-10 center, went 10-of-15 from the field and 7-of-8 at the line for a 27-point afternoon.
Next, Wooster hosts one of the oldest small college tournaments, the E.M. "Mose" Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic, which runs December 29-30. No. 22 Heidelberg University (8-1) opens the event against Carnegie Mellon University (7-2) at 5 p.m. on December 29, with Wooster hosting Albion College (3-6) in the 7 p.m. nightcap. Fans can gain half-price admission with the donation of new or gently-worn clothing items for Goodwill Industries.
Steve Moore Sunshine Shootout All-Tournament Team
Jamir Billings, Wooster MVP
Uchenna Egekeze, Calvin Defensive MVP
Najee Hardaway, Wooster
Jarred Houston, Emerson
Turner Kurt, Wooster
Bradley Winter, Augsburg