WASHINGTON, D.C (3/14/08)—American University hit 5-of-6 from the charity stripe in the final 31 seconds to capture a 52-46 victory over No. 3 seed Colgate University in the Patriot League Men’s Basketball Championship. It is the first title for the top-seeded Eagles.
Colgate took a 46-45 lead with 2:21 left to play, but was unable to score again as American outscored the Raiders 7-0 in those final two-plus minutes. The Raiders drop to 18-14 overall. The 18 wins ties the program record for wins in a season.
American pushes its record to 21-11 overall and will make its first trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Junior
Kyle Roemer (Martinez, Calif.) led the Raiders with 17 points, while senior
Kendall Chones (Cleveland, Ohio) added 13 points. Junior
Alex Woodhouse (Alexandria, Va.) finished with a career-high 16 rebounds and eight points. His 16 rebounds was just one away from tying the Patriot League Tournament record of 17. All three were named to the Patriot League all-Tournament Team for their outstanding play.
It was a tight affair throughout the entire 40 minutes with neither team leading by more than seven. The score changed hands 12 times and was tied eight times.
Trailing 34-30 early in the second half, Colgate went on an 8-0 run sparked by Roemer and Chones for a 38-34 lead. It was the Raiders’ largest lead of the game. The Eagles’ Garrison Carr responded right away with a three-pointer and American regained the 43-42 lead with 4:10 left in the second half.
Carr finished with 17 points and five rebounds to earn the Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player Award.
Senior
Daniel Waddy (Tucson, Ariz.) and Roemer combined for five points over the next three minutes to give the advantage back to Colgate, but it was the American defense in the end that secured the Eagles their first Patriot League title.
Both teams got off to a slow start in the opening 20 minutes, combining for just eight points in the opening five minutes. With Colgate leading 4-2 at the 15:15 mark, American hit a small hot streak with an 11-2 run over the next six minutes to go in front 11-6 with 9:04 left in the opening half.
Roemer stopped the run with a three-pointer on the next possession and the Raiders gradually chipped away at the five-point lead with a 12-4 run for an 18-17 edge. The Eagles regained the lead with a trifecta from Derrick Mercer and outscored Colgate 4-1 in the final three minutes to take a 27-24 advantage into halftime.
Brian Gilmore added 11 points and four rebounds to earn a spot on the all-tournament team.
The Raiders shot 40.5 percent for the game and 50 percent from long range. Colgate played outstanding defense in the second half as the Raiders held American to just 24 percent shooting. The Eagles shot 34 percent overall for the game. The Eagles’ defense forced 16 Raider turnovers and the American offense committed just five.
