Knights End Season In USCAA Final Four
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
28 | 46 | 74 |
|
|
44 | 36 | 80 |
Team Stats
Penn State Wilkes-Barre
| Game Statistics | Vermont Tech | Penn State Wilkes-Barre |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (25-64) | (25-53) |
| Field Goal % | 39.1% | 47.2% |
| Rebounds | 34 | 45 |
| Assists | 8 | 14 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 18 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 14 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 9 | 14 |
| Pts in the Paint | 28 | 28 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 19 | 41 |
In Uniontown, PA on Tuesday March 5 on the campus of Penn State - Fayette, the Vermont Tech men's basketball team competed in the Final Four of the USCAA National Tournament. Penn State - Wilkes Barre stood between the Knights and a chance to play in the National Championship game.
The two teams had meet the year prior in the first round of the USCAA National Tournament, with the Knights coming away victorious. Wilkes-Barre started the game like they remembered the defeat. They played with great energy and effort to pounce on the Knights. The Knights started to find their feet in the half and cut the lead to 10 midway through, but would go to the break down 16 points.
In the second half, the Nittany Lions advantage ballooned to 24 points. This was not the way that the Knights would go down. They mounted a furious run and with 5 minutes to play had the deficit under 10.
"I felt that if we could get the lead under ten points with five minutes to play then we had a real chance to steal the game", said Coach Tyrrell.
With 3 minutes to play the knights were only down five points and had the momentum. This would be as close as they could manage and as Wilkes-barre stabilized and made the plays needed to win the game.
"We gave ourselves a chance but getting behind by as much as we did meant everything had to go our way down the stretch", added Coach Tyrrell.
Jeremiah Shaw led the Knights with 24 points and seven rebounds, while Dajuan Johnson added 17 points.
The loss saw the Knights season end with a 24-10 overall record. The best since the 2010-2011 season where the team finished with a 25-8 record. The last and only other time they had played in the USCAA Final Four was the 2011-2012 season.
"By all accounts we had a great year", said a proud Coach Tyrrell. "The guys have represented the college, the community, their families, and themselves very well. We will continue to grow and look to take another step forward next season. It is a very exciting time for the program".
