Feb. 29, 2012

Box Score

Findlay, Ohio - Grand Valley State dropped a 72-66 GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinal contest Wednesday (Feb. 29) at Findlay. GVSU finishes the 2011-12 campaign with a 14-13 mark, while Findlay advances to the GLIAC Tournament semifinals Saturday. Three seniors, James Thomas, Mike Przydzial and Nick Waddell, closed out their GVSU basketball careers.

Head coach Ric Wesley doesn't want to see another leap-year, Feb. 29 game if the result is getting outscored from the free throw line 36-10. GVSU made 10 more baskets (25-15) and matched the Oilers from behind the three-point arc (6-6). However, Findlay attempted 41 free throws, while GVSU managed to get to the charity stripe just 14 times. The Lakers were whistled for 24 fouls.

The game was tied six times in the opening eight minutes, but a GVSU 7-0 run upped the Laker lead to 19-12. Senior guard James Thomas scored on a layup, followed by a Tony Peters three and a bucket in the paint from sophomore guard Rob Woodson. UF answered quickly and tied the game for the seventh time, 19-19. The first half was closely contested, evidenced by 13 ties, but a pair of free throws by senior guard Kyle Caiola gave UF a 30-29 lead.

Tied for the 14th time (34-34), the Oilers went on an 8-2 run to take a 42-36 lead at the 14:06 mark. GVSU stayed within striking distance, but Findlay did take a 54-46 lead on a pair of free throws at the 7:40 mark. Freshman guard Ryan Sabin started the comeback with a 3-pointer, followed by a jumper from junior guard Breland Hogan. Junior guard Tony Peters hit another 3-pointer after a UF make and Sabin pulled GVSU to within two (59-57) after he hit a three at the 4:48 mark. Caiola turned the ball over and Peters tied the game for the 15th time on a made layup with 4:21 left in the game.

The Lakers kept hitting big shots and when the Oilers took a 62-59 lead with 2:33 left, Peters hit a jumper to get the Lakers back within one (62-61). Findlay hit a big three with 1:47 left to take a 65-61 lead, but junior forward Tyrone Lee pulled down a missed three by Peters and was fouled when he went up for a shot. Lee missed the first, but made the second to pull GVSU within three (65-62). Findlay pulled down an offensive rebound of their own with under a minute left and then converted a pair of free throws to build a 67-62 lead.

Waddell hit a pair from the charity stripe, but Findlay's Kyle Caioly converted his 17th and 18th straight free throws to up the lead back to five (69-64). Lee hit a shot in the paint to cut the lead down to three (69-66), but UF hit three free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

GVSU hit 51.0 percent from the floor (25-49) and converted 6-of-16 three-point attempts. Peters led the Lakers with 15 points, while freshman forward Darius Norman added a career-high-12 points, hitting 5-of-6 from the floor. Sabin chipped in 10 points and Lee added nine in the book. Waddell (6), Thomas (5) and Przydzial (2) each reached the scoring column for the Lakers.

Findlay's Caiola scored a game-high 25 points on just three shots from the floor. Caiola hit his first 18 free throw attempts and finished 19-for-20 on the night. Caiola's 19 made free throws and 20 attempts were both single-game GLIAC Tournament records. As a team, UF's 36 makes (MTU 29) and 41 attempts (MTU 36) both bettered the previous GLIAC Tournament team high marks set by Michigan Tech vs. Wayne State in 2002.