Men close with a heartbreaker

Coming into the final game of the season against the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan University, the Oberlin men's basketball team was presented with a completely new opportunity: the chance for a winning streak.

Following their stunning overtime upset of second-ranked Case Western Reserve University last Wednesday, the Yeomen went into Branch Rickey Arena pumped and hungry for a repeat performance.

The game would have satisfied the most famished player or fan; it went into two overtimes and the only time a team's lead grew to double digits it was erased less than a minute later. Sadly, however, it would not add a second "W" to the team stats as Oberlin lost 100-97.

Sophomore James Knight lead the team in scoring, a distinction he has owned or shared in 11 out of the team's 24 games. Sophomore Maurice Elrod would add 26 points and eight boards. Team captain senior John Norris ended his final performance in a Yeoman uniform with another all-around game, scoring 10, pulling down seven rebounds and tossing in a block for good measure.

Oberlin scored first and jumped out to an early 10-5 lead. The Yeomen gained a six point lead, their largest of the game, midway through the first half. However, they entered the break down by six and would trail OWU until less than two minutes remained in the game.

Oberlin advanced slowly on their foe in the second half, and rolled over the Bishops with a 13-0 run that gave the Yeomen the lead with 11 minutes left in the half. With 28.6 seconds to go, OWU's Scotty Sellars drove the lane and gave the Battling Bishops a one-point lead. With 17.3 seconds left, Oberlin's James Knight could only nail one of two freethrows to send the game into overtime tied at 81.

Particularly frustrating to Oberlin's effort in regulation was OWU's Sellars, who knocked down six of eleven three pointers en route to a team high 32 points.

The first overtime was a seesaw battle that would find the Yeomen up by four with 2:03 left to play. Ohio Weslyan would score and convert two free throws to tie the game again, this time at 89. Oberlin recovered an OWU turnover with two seconds left but was unable to score sending the game into its fourth period.

Oberlin scored the first two buckets but then found themselves on the wrong end of a 9-0 run. With less than a minute left, Elrod brought the team within three. Sophomore Brian Buchanan followed a missed shot to bring Oberlin within two, 99-97. OWU's Sellars was fouled and made one of two. Elrod missed a three pointer at the buzzer making the final a heartbreaking 100-97.

Final team statistical leaders for the Yeomen are as follows: points per game - Knight with 16.5; rebounds - Norris with 117, averaging 5.3 a game; assists - senior Jabalu Sawicki with 97; steals - Sawicki with 45; blocks - Knight with 25; field goal percentage - sophomore Zeljko "Z" Petrovic at .495.

It was a rough season, no doubt about it. The team was outscored by an average of more than 20 points a game. Their record at the end of the season stands at one win and 23 losses overall and one win 15 loses in the NCAC. But Sunday's game showed that even without the backing of a winning record the team could give its all. Too bad it wasn't enough.