William & Mary Magic Carpet Ride Continues
by Jay Pearlman
RICHMOND, Va. – The win over Georgia State was surprising, but believable. But surely the run to the CAA’s fifth seed and tournament quarterfinals would end here, against a charging and improving No. 4 Old Dominion team that had won 6 of 7 coming into the tournament. Surely second team all-conference forward Gerald Lee, senior and Defensive Player of the Year Brandon Johnson, senior sharpshooter Brian Henderson, and the best freshman not All-Rookie Ben Finney would be way too strong for feisty No. 5 William and Mary, and ODU would end their run and their season on this Saturday.
But not so. In a game dominated by William & Mary’s tucked-in match-up zone, once again played at W & M’s walk-it-up Princeton pace, after escaping the first half with a one-point lead, leading for much of the second half, and then falling behind, late threes by David Schneider and Nathan Mann caught and passed the Monarchs for a shocking 63-60 win. Coach Tony Shaver got to enjoy what an old head coach of mine used to call the greatest sound in basketball: the “sounds of silence” as an opponent’s shocked and bewildered fans silently filed out of the gym.
For the second day in a row, sophomore Danny Sumner was the best player in the gym, showing play Shaver should enjoy for two more years. With a barrage of crucial treys in the second half (3-4 for the game), Sumner finished with 16 points on overall 5-8 shooting. Third Team All-Conference Laimis Kisielius was better than Friday, keeping the Tribe in the game in the first half with his moves around the basket, and likewise finishing with 16 (on 7-10 shooting).
However, Friday’s hero David Schneider was less effective (just 9 points on 3-9), his hyperactive energy less focused and more nervous than Friday, causing two devastating turnovers in the final minutes. But just as Friday’s hero looked to be Saturday’s goat, and with more athletic ODU finally in the lead, late in a shot clock in the final minutes, Schneider saved an ineffective and immobile possession by sinking a deep line-drive three straight down the middle. Schneider’s trey, from 3 steps behind the arc, tied the game, and overcame the demons that plagued him this day for 38 minutes.
Then, after holding on defense the Tribe got the ball with a full shot clock remaining and the score tied, smart play guaranteeing no worse than overtime. Careful not to give ODU time for anything close, the Tribe used all but two seconds, and as per Shaver’s instructions, senior sharpshooter Nathan Mann launched a trey with two seconds to go. On line but flat, the shot circled the rim 360 degrees, bounced up against the square, and then fell softly in the hoop, assuring the Tribe a date with No. 1 (and homestanding) VCU on Sunday at 3.
Through a full season and two tournament games, a couple of things are true of William and Mary’s Coach of the Year, Tony Shaver. First, through his zone defense, rebounding and guard play on offense, Shaver has utterly controlled the pace of two consecutive games, 80 minutes of basketball at W & M’s slow, methodical speed. And second, no matter what the rest of us may think, his players believe, and they implement his instructions without question or deviation. That’s coaching.
CAA News and Notes
- After Josh Thornton-led No. 9 Towson led 8-0 and for much of the first half, a trey just before halftime by Player of the Year Eric Maynor sent VCU to the locker room up 25-22. The Tigers played even more aggressively in the second half (especially on the defensive end), but ultimately Anthony Grant’s Rams were too strong, prevailing 57-46. Maynor had 19 for the victors on 6-13 shooting and 6 assists. All-Freshman shot-blocking machine Larry Sanders is rounding out his game, and chipped in 14 points on 6-7 shooting (mostly dunks and layups), 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. For Pat Kennedy’s valiant Tigers, Thornton ended up with 13 (5-13 shooting), and improving Tony Durant had 12 (5-12) and matched Sanders with 15 rebounds of his own. Third-Team All-Conference Junior Hairston played courageously with his bad back, but has to be smiling at the improvement of running mate Durant, and their expected rebounding strength together next season.
- No. 2 Wilmington looked the best in the conference (VCU included), dominating Delaware 82-59 in a game not nearly as close as that score indicates. Five double-figure scorers for Benny Moss did not include former tournament MVP T.J. Carter, who fouled early and was never needed. They were led by senior Dan Fountain with 18 (4-6, 2-4 in treys, 8 rebounds) and All-Rookie point guard Chad Tomko with 17 (4-9, 3-5 in treys, 6-6 from the line, and 6 rebounds). Third-Team All-Conference Herb Courtney couldn’t keep Delaware close by himself, finishing his career with a strong performance, 19 points (8-17) and 7 rebounds. The Seahawks will face No. 3 George Mason in a great semi-final match-up Sunday at 5:30.
- In the most intense, hardest fought, and best defensive game yet in the tournament, George Mason held off No. 6 Northeastern 63-52. Leading by as many as 15 in the first half and by 13 at intermission, the Patriots held off Northeastern’s late run, a run based on senior Mark Washington’s post defense on Will Thomas. Folarin Campbell hit 10-13 free throws (mostly late), finishing with 20 points (5-11), 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Will Thomas had a workmanlike 17 points (6-8 shooting) and 8 rebounds, and Thomas was ably assisted on the inside by sophomore Louis Birdsong (8 points, 3-4, 5 rebounds). It’ll be Coaches Larranaga and Moss in Sunday afternoon’s 2-3 showdown.
