Feb. 21, 2007

In-game video / game photos / listen to final 22.8 seconds

BULLDOGS SURVIVE, ADVANCE TO MIAA SEMIFINALS
Thornton’s late drive helps Adrian eliminate Albion

By Ed Patino
Sports Information Assistant

ADRIAN, Mich. – The cardiac kids are still alive.

The Adrian College men’s basketball team’s season will continue, as the Bulldogs survived a tense finish for a 66-64 victory over the Albion College Britons in the opening round of the MIAA Tournament at the Merillat Center.

Adrian (10-14) advanced to the MIAA semifinals, where it will try to dethrone the defending conference champion Hope College Flying Dutchmen on Feb. 23. Albion (10-15) saw its season come to an end with its third loss of the season to the Bulldogs.

Despite holding a wide lead for most of the game, Adrian’s season was in peril with eight seconds remaining. Drew Yancey hit a jumper, capping a 15-0 Albion run and giving the Britons a one-point lead. The Bulldogs took the game back when Desmond Young’s long inbound went to Andy Kubish, who dished to a driving Steve Thornton, who scored the basket and drew a foul with 6.4 seconds left. Thornton completed the traditional three-point play, giving the Bulldogs a 66-64 lead.

Albion worked the ball up-court, shot an airball but grabbed the offensive rebound. The putback went through, but officials waved it off, ruling that the ball was still in the shooter’s hand at the buzzer.

For most of the night, it looked like the Bulldogs would avoid the photo finish. Strong defense in the first half forced several Albion mistakes, while consecutive missiles by Ryan Gallus and Kubish midway through sparked the Bulldogs to a 21-11 lead and electrified Adrian’s crazed “black out” (fans were encouraged to wear black to support the team).

Albion fought back to within six on a Dean Raven layup, but the Bulldogs embarked on an 18-7 run over a seven minute span. Clark Rowekamp answered a three-pointer by Zak Silas late in the half, then Gallus increased the lead to 14 after a layup and free throw with 1:34 left. Young’s traditional three-point play shortly after gave the Bulldogs a 39-24 lead at halftime.

During the first half, Adrian hit 57 percent from the floor (15-for-26), while holding the Britons to 37 percent shooting. The Bulldogs also scored 16 points off Albion turnovers in the opening half.

Layups by Kubish and Ian Weber in the first two minutes of the second half stretched the Bulldogs’ lead to 19. Later, a pair of jumpers by Young and Kubish lifted Adrian to a 55-36 lead with just under 13 minutes left.

The Britons got back in the game on a pair of missiles by Jim Cash with 6:26 remaining, but a three-pointer and free throw by Rowekamp restored Adrian’s lead to 63-49 three minutes later.

Albion’s final charge was started by a triple by Silas and layup by Yancey. Two more layups by Yancey in the final minute pulled the Britons to within one, then after a missed layup at the other end, Yancey’s jumper gave Albion an improbably 64-63 lead with eight seconds left.

That set the stage for the Thornton drive and the last-second controversy.

Adrian was at a 35-21 rebounding disadvantage for the game, but made up for it by shooting 53 percent.

Young and Kubish each had 15 points to lead the Bulldogs. Rowekamp added 10 points, while Young also grabbed a team-high five rebounds. Big-men Weber and Thornton each finished with seven points for Adrian.

Silas finished his college career with a game-high 20 points to lead Albion. Cash added 11 points and seven rebounds, while Yancey had 10 points. Robbie Clark handed out five assists for the Britons.

Hope swept the two-game regular season series from the Bulldogs, winning big Jan. 17 at Adrian and holding on for another win Feb. 10 at the DeVos Fieldhouse. Adrian’s last victory over the Flying Dutchmen came Jan. 8, 2005 in its final visit to the Holland Civic Center.

The teams are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since the 2004 MIAA semifinals, when the Bulldogs upended top-seeded Hope in Holland and advanced to the MIAA finals.