Judges Top Saints, 76-64 in First Round of NCAA Tournament
by:
Tara FreemanSenior captain Andy Hoercher had an outstanding 26 point game to end his career as a Saint
Mar. 5: The St. Lawrence men's basketball team put up a tough effort against nationally ranked Brandeis University, but the Judges were on fire from the arc, shooting over 77% in the first half to top the Saints, 76-64 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament hosted by St. John Fisher in Rochester, NY. Although St. Lawrence's run in the tournament is over, the young squad proves to have a great deal of talent and promise for the future.
St. Lawrence ends its season with an overall record of 16-12, while Brandeis advances to the second round of the tournament with a mark of 20-6.
Senior captain Andy Hoercher put on an outstanding performance for his last collegiate game, earning a team-high 26 points off 8-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-5 from the arc and a perfect contest from the free-throw line. Sophomore Ralph Temgoua followed with 14 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the field, while sophomore Garrett Sharlow racked up a game-high seven rebounds. Senior captain Josh Sharlow also walks off the court for the last time in his collegiate career, posting a team-high three assists to add to an unbelievable four years. Both Josh Sharlow and Temgoua also contributed a game-high three steals.
Brandeis's Vytas Kriskus shot impressively Friday, totaling a game-high 29 points off 9-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-9 from the arc. Kenny Small supported Kriskus with 16 points off 6-of-7 shooting and 4-of-4 from the three-point mark, while Christian Yemga tallied a game-high seven rebounds. Andrew Roberson was also a key player, leading the Judges with a game-high seven assists and three steals. As a team, Brandeis shot 11-of-18 from the arc to help earn the 12 point victory.
The Saints and the Judges battled point for point in the opening minutes of the first half, with the lead changing once and being tied another two times. St. Lawrence got on the board first as Hoercher nailed a jump-shot followed by a solid layup. Excited and enthusiastic, the Saints held onto the lead for almost the first ten minutes, due to consistent shooting from Hoercher, Temgoua, and Josh Sharlow. It wasn't until the clock read 11:48, that Brandeis's Kriskus was fouled from the arc, awarding him three foul-shots which he went three-for-three on to tie the score for the first time in the half (12-12). However, Garrett Sharlow responded by draining a three to retake the advantage for the Saints. Just seconds later, Kenny Small followed suit to match the score again at 17.
With 9:33 remaining in the frame, Terrell Hollins tipped one in from underneath to spark a 5-0 run for the Judges, giving them the lead for the first time in the game (24-17). After this point, Brandeis continued to grab offensive momentum, extending its advantage to ten points with 5:23 on the clock. Although the Saints cut the deficit to eight as Nick Meunier posted two off a layup, the Judges dominated from the arc. With 3:49 remaining in the half, Brandeis led by 13 points as Kriskus hit another three. However, St. Lawrence kept themselves in striking distance. As the clock neared the two minute warning, Hoercher and Josh Sharlow drained back-to-back threes to bring the Saints within seven points (40-33). Nevertheless, Hollins extended the margin to nine off an easy layup as the half came to a close (42-33).
Both teams came back on the court with a lot of intensity in the second half, but the Judges appeared to have gained a lot of momentum off their first half lead. With roughly five minutes gone in the second frame, Brandeis had increased its advantage to 18 points (54-36), thanks to solid shooting from Yemga, Small, and Christin Hughes. Although the Saints chipped away at the score, Kriskus shocked fans from the arc, making it a 21 point game. The Judges were able to increase their lead to 26 points off reliable shooting from Andre Roberson, Kriskus and Hollins, but that was the largest the margin got (70-44). The Saints continued to work hard and never ceased to lose intensity. With 2:29 left in regulation, St. Lawrence had cut the deficit to 18 (74-56) as Hoercher sunk a foul-shot. The Auburn, NY native really got things going when he drained a high three-pointer to fuel a last second 5-0 run for his team. Although the Saints were able to come within 12 points of the Judges, Brandeis was able to celebrate the 76-74 victory and the advance to the NCAA second round.