Feb. 27, 2008

Box Score

West Palm Beach, Fl. - The St. Thomas University men's basketball team took #1 Northwood to overtime Tuesday night in the first round of the conference tournament but lost 86-88. The top performer for the Bobcats was Antonio Jones who led the Bobcats in points, reboundsf, and assists (29/6/4). The high scorer for the Seahawks was DeSean White with 24.

The Bobcats came into the game as underdogs against the top seeded Northwood Seahawks. It was clear that Northwood had the size and athleticism that the first year program from St. Thomas lacked. The game started competitive with Northwood coming out to an early lead. They fought hard and outrebounded the Bobcats, but they could never come out to a substantial lead. The Bobcats had been outplayed by halftime, but fought hard and kept the deficit to 5 points.

The Seahawks continued to dominate inside in the second half but still could not find a substantial lead. The Bobcats fought hard but never found a way to take the lead. As the clock ran down, the chances of the Bobcats catching up started to become slim. With less then a minute to go and almost all hope lost, the Bobcats' only shot were to foul and shoot quick threes. Antonio Jones stepped up to the plate nailing 3 shots in a row from behind the arc. The last of them was off a foul resorting in an incredible 4 point play that sent the game into overtime.

Overtime was frustrating for both teams because of great defense on each side of the court. Both teams had opportunities but all either team could do was make a single three-pointer in the five minute period. Despite this, the Seahawks were able to get to the line one more time and captured a 2 point lead with seconds remaining. The Bobcats had two chances to make a shot in the end but cam up short each time which unfortunately ended the game and the season.

Although the Bobcats finished 10-20 and last in the conference, there were plenty of positives to be seen. It took a while for the team to blend in it's first season but this game proved that the Bobcats can hang with the best in the conference. With all players returning and a whole new batch of recruits coming in the fall, the St. Thomas men's basketball team will be a force to be reckoned in the 2008-2009 season.