Tuesday: Shot of the night

Feb 25, 2025
It's been a pretty magical season for Matt Garside and Union, who have had a number of late-game heart-stopping shots.
Union athletics photo by Mary Gettens
 

No bids were stolen tonight, but the OAC and ODAC tournament were reshaped and the UW-Stevens Point women now wait for an at-large bid, while the Union men kept their run going with yet another last-second shot, as Tuesday night provided some excitement in Division III basketball.

Matthew Garside hit yet another game-winning shot, as the super sophomore hit a three-pointer from the win with .8 seconds left in overtime to lift Union past Hobart 83-80 in the 4/5 game in the Liberty League men's tournament. Garside finished the game with a career-high 29 points, hitting 10-of-15 shots from the field and 6-of-11 from long range, matching his career high in three-pointers. Union advances to play top seed RPI in the LL semifinals, while St. Lawrence, the sixth seed, got past Vassar and will face Ithaca.

Baruch and Lehman each won CUNYAC semifinals for the third year in a row, as the Bearcats got past Brooklyn and Lehman defeated John Jay in Tuesday's semifinals. However, on Wednesday evening it was announced that Lehman had used an ineliglble player in the semifinal game and John Jay replaced the Lightning in the conference final. Brooklyn cut its deficit to 62-60 with five seconds to play, and then the two teams combined to miss their remaining six free throws, including Brooklyn missing two shots with two seconds left that could have tied the game. The Bulldogs also missed a three at the buzzer. Jack Gordon led Baruch with 21 points. 

The NJAC final is all set as well, as Montclair State (20-6) returns to the conference final for the first time since 2011, defeating TCNJ 80-62. The Red Hawks had a decisive 14-2 run late in the game to put the Lions away, as Jacob Morales scored a game-high 30 points. Peter Gorman matched that with 30 points for Ramapo, as the second-seeded Roadrunners outlasted third-seeded Stockton 88-81 in the other NJAC semifinal.

The CCS receives an automatic bid this season for the first time, but it will take a little longer to find out who else advances to the semifinals. Huntingdon and Piedmont needed extra time as the Hawks beat Piedmont 71-67 in overtime in the 3/6 game, but Asbury and Covenant didn't even get to halftime in the 4/5 game, as the power went out at Asbury with 7:30 to go in the first half with Asbury holding a commanding 40-17 lead. The game will be resumed at 11:30 Wednesday morning.

North Central is the sixth seed in the CCIW tournament, but is still alive as the Cardinals got past North Park 94-92. North Central (15-11) led by double-digits in the second half before North Park (14-12) rallied, with Lance Nelson taking a pass from TJ Gardner open in the corner and hitting a three-pointer, giving the Vikings the lead with 11 seconds left. But North Central came right back down the floor, with Ethan Helwig hitting his seventh three-pointer, an off-balance shot from 24 feet out, to give the Cardinals the decisive lead with 4.8 left. A last-second shot attempt did not fall for North Park. Augustana advanced as well, as Staishaun Kelly scored 29 points off the bench to help the Vikings get past Elmhurst 92-78.

Tuesday night women's basketball

The quarterfinal round of the ODAC women's basketball tournament is in the books, and while No. 1 seed Randolph-Macon and No. 3 seed Washington and Lee advanced comfortably, No. 2 Bridgewater (21-5) will not be making the trip to Salem, Virginia, as Ferrum defeated the Eagles 63-57.

Ferrum, which leaves for Division II in the fall, extended its stay in the ODAC tournament one game after losing to Bridgewater 51-38 to end the regular season conference slate. The Panthers (14-12) were led by junior Allyson Cassell, who recorded a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Freshman Maslyn Mosbacher contributed 14 points, including two key three-pointers in the second half, to help seal the upset. Bridgewater started the day as the No. 19 Pool C team in the NPI rankings, but is unlikely to make the tournament after taking a loss to the NPI No. 202 team.

Mary Schleusner had her usual 28 points and 25 rebounds to help the third-seeded Generals past Guilford 87-54 in the ODAC tournament, but No. 3 seeds elsewhere had a rough night.

John Carroll lost as the three seed in the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament, as Otterbein improved to .500 and knocked John Carroll out of contention for an at-large bid, defeating the Blue Streaks 71-54. Madilyn Stechschulte and Mattie Walburn scored 14 apiece for Otterbein, which had gone 8-10 in OAC play this season.

Defending Skyline champions Mount St. Vincent ousted three-seed Manhattanville, 47-41. Both teams struggled to score from the field, but the Dolphins went 11 for 13 from the foul line while Manhattanville went 4 for 11. Erin Smith scored 15 points for Mount St. Vincent (15-11), which will travel to Mount St. Mary for the semifinals. The Dolphins beat the Knights, 62-43, in the regular season finale.

Hiram won its first playoff game in 27 years, as the Terriers upended three-seed Denison, 61-56. Ava Mory scored a career-high 17 points for Hiram, which led 16-5 after one period. The last time the Terriers won a playoff game was 1998 when they defeated Heidelberg in the OAC tournament. In the ARC tournament, three-seed Simpson was bounced in dramatic fashion as the Storm was quelled by Central, 96-89 in double overtime. 

Other six seeds that advanced with road wins include Dickinson, MSOE, and Millikin in the Centennial, NACC, and CCIW, respectively. 

The three seed worked a little better for Catholic in the Landmark Conference, as the Cardinals set the program record for points in a game in defeating six-seed Goucher 117-71. The Catholic scoring record had stood for 40 years. Not content to settle for layups against the Goucher system, Catholic was 14-for-35 from three-point range and recorded 32 assists on 44 made baskets. Nonetheless, Goucher's turnaround from 1-24 last season to 14-12 this season is impressive.

UW-Stevens Point lost but remains in contention for the tournament, and doesn't even steal a bid from anyone else as in the WIAC, five teams are still projected to advance to the NCAA Tournament. That includes UW-La Crosse, which defeated the Pointers 71-67. Third-seeded UW-Whitewater advanced past River Falls and will play at Stout on Thuesday night.