Saint Joseph's Tournament Run Ends in Elite Eight
Bryan Lester, NCAA
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -Still burned by the setback to the University of Findlay in the national championship game a year ago, Cal Poly Pomona played like a team on a mission Wednesday night in an NCAA Division II men's basketball national quarterfinal battle against St. Joseph's College.
After the Broncos waxed the Pumas 69-48 here at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, senior guard Austin Swift talked about how much last year's 56-53 overtime loss to the top-ranked Oilers bugged him like a bad case of the flu. "It was our key motivating factor," Swift said. "We worked hard to get back to this point, and ultimately, we want to win a championship."
The Broncos (26-6), who tied a school record for wins in a season, certainly took a big first step toward accomplishing that goal. They pounced on SJC (Ind.) like a bully on a playground, rolling in front 28-7.
The Pumas (20-12) never had a chance to recover from the vicious blow and saw their Cinderella season end in painful fashion.
SJC was the first No. 8 seed to reach the Elite Eight after winning all three of its Midwest Regional games by two points or less, including two games that were decided in overtime.
"Their experience was a factor," SJC head coach Richard Davis said. "Our guys were a little nervous and their defense was definitely the best we have faced all year." That might be an understatement.
Cal Poly was relentless on the defensive end. The Broncos forced the Pumas to shoot a chilly 28.3 percent (15-of-53) from the field. SJC was just 2-of-14 from beyond the arc and trailed 36-14 at halftime.
"We came out playing with a lot of confidence," Cal Poly head coach Greg Kamansky said. "We took the wind out of their sails and our team played well offensively. I thought our defense dominated."
The Broncos were highly effective on both ends of the floor. They shot 52.7 percent (29-of-55) from the field and had four players in double figures.
Swift and Mitchel Anderson pumped in 13 points apiece while Dahir Nasser scored 11. Dwayne Fells clicked for 10 points. The Broncos generated most of their offense in the paint, outscoring the Pumas 36-16 inside.
"We stayed intense on defense and were steady on offense," Kamansky said. "Our focus was key. We knew that as long as we stayed focused we would be fine."
Meanwhile, the Pumas simply never got into a comfort zone against the Broncos. They often forced up shots and had no one score in double figures. Dayvon Sloan led the Pumas with 9 points.
Even in defeat, however, the Pumas enjoyed the ride.
"It was an unbelievable experience," senior SJC guard/forward Andrew Helmer said. "We got our butts kicked tonight but hopefully the guys coming back can build on this experience."