Loras 84, NCC 82
Game Summary
In an extremely tight game, the Duhawks (23-6) drew first blood and held narrow leads, but the Cardinals (23-6) didn't go away, fighting back to grab a one point lead, though a technical foul helped the Duhawks regain the advantage. The Cardinals fought back though to grab an 18-13 lead just over halfway through the first half, and stayed just a hair ahead for most of the rest of the half, taking a couple five point leads before settling into the half with a 38-34 advantage. Tonight out of intermission though, it was Loras who came out guns blazing, scoring the first five points of the first half to turn the game back into a dogfight, but the contest turned on Loras' 10-0 run spanning just under two and a half minutes and forcing a North Central timeout. The Duhawks would lead by as many as eight with just over ten minutes to go, but the Cardinals were able to make it close, getting back within one with 6:40 to play, but every time the Cardinals got back within one possession, the Duhawks would answer right back. The Cardinals pulled within two with just over a second to play, but Loras successfully inbounded the ball halfway up the court to seal the road win.
Key Players
- Ryan DiCanio (LOR): 9-17 FG (1-3 3PT), 8-8 FT; 27 pts, 8 reb (2 off), 5 ast. DiCanio was probably the best guy on the floor tonight, at least for Loras. He was able to get to the basket seemingly at will, especially in the second half, where he scored 15 of his 27, including a perfect 6-6 at the free throw line to help keep the game just out of North Central's reach. There's a reason why this team was able to knock off both Nebraska Wesleyan and Augustana this season.
- Josh Ruggles (LOR): 6-12 FG (3-7 3PT), 3-7 FT; 18 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl. I debated between Ruggles and Ryan DiCanio in this spot (Dicanio had 15 and 6), but Ruggles scored more, and despite a subpar day at the free throw line, hit some big shots. He capped off the Duhawks' 10-0 run with a huge three to put them up six, but did his damage evenly between halves (9 in each).
- Connor Raridon (NCC): 6-12 FG (0-3 3PT), 17-17 FT; 29 pts, 11 reb (4 off), 6 ast. On another night where he didn't leave the floor (and there were many), Connor tried his best to will this Cardinal team to the next round. He hit one or two of his midrange jumpers, but the fallaway wasn't really working as well. So he did the next best thing: get to the line with impunity. His 17 made free throws tied a single game program record, and it's the best single game free throw performance by anyone in a Cardinal uniform (coming into tonight, there were 13 games where a Cardinal went to the line at least 10 times and made them all; Connor had done it three times before, including a tie for the previous record of 14-14). He also did a great job on the glass and found the open guy a few times. It just wasn't quite enough.
Key Stats
- NCC: 12 turnovers. This isn't an extraordinarily high number, especially since Loras committed nine for their part. But the Duhawks scored 13 points off those turnovers, compared to 11 for the Cardinals. You do the math.
- LOR: 36 points in the paint. Normally this is a number that comes from a team having a dominant post presence. But that wasn't really the case tonight; instead Loras was able to get penetration and found the open guy underneath plenty of times. North Central, by comparison, only managed 18 points in the paint.
NCAA Tournament Scoreboard Watch
- CCIW Teams
- Wheaton 78 (21-8), Wooster 70 (24-6)
- Augustana 85 (26-3), Capital 79 (21-8)
- St. John's (MN) Pod- Sweet 16 Opponent
- UW-Oshkosh 108 (25-3), Northwestern (MN) 86 (22-7)
- Guilford Pod- Would be potential Elite 8 Opponent
- Guilford 70 (23-7), Wittenberg 61 (24-6)
- Nebraska Wesleyan Pod- Would be potential Elite 8 Opponent
- St. Thomas 70 (24-4), Nebraska Wesleyan 58 (27-2)
Final Thoughts
Credit the fans of both teams in this one; announced attendance in this game was 2,360, and I'd believe it. Merner was packed, and while I'm sure I've said this more than once, I don't think I've ever heard it louder in that gym. Credit the Cardinal Crazies for bringing it on two straight nights and doing their best to provide home court advantage.
I'm feeling a couple things in the aftermath. This one hurt. This wasn't a game of "The Cardinals played poorly." Loras was talked about as a possible first weekend host, and they showed why tonight with an outstanding offensive performance. The official scorer and I both said probably half a dozen times down the stretch that the Cardinals needed a stop... and pretty much every time, Loras wound up scoring. Give them credit; they earned the victory.
All things considered, it's a successful year for the Cardinals. I would have loved to continue dancing; there was a pretty strong chance North Central would have hosted again next weekend with a win. But alas, all good things must come to an end. I'll write my season recap on Monday and we'll put this season in the books. But it was quite the year, and it's one I'll never forget.
I'm feeling a couple things in the aftermath. This one hurt. This wasn't a game of "The Cardinals played poorly." Loras was talked about as a possible first weekend host, and they showed why tonight with an outstanding offensive performance. The official scorer and I both said probably half a dozen times down the stretch that the Cardinals needed a stop... and pretty much every time, Loras wound up scoring. Give them credit; they earned the victory.
All things considered, it's a successful year for the Cardinals. I would have loved to continue dancing; there was a pretty strong chance North Central would have hosted again next weekend with a win. But alas, all good things must come to an end. I'll write my season recap on Monday and we'll put this season in the books. But it was quite the year, and it's one I'll never forget.
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