March 14, 2008

Box Score

WASHINGTON - Not one American University men's basketball player was alive the last time the Eagles made the NCAA Tournament. Not even Head Coach Jeff Jones was able to watch the 1960 AU team - led by AU Hall-of-Famer Willie Jones, one of only two players to have their jersey retired with a banner hanging in the rafters of Bender Arena - complete a three-year run to the NCAA College Division Final Four. The success of those 1957-60 teams led AU to consider a move to NCAA Division I. The Eagles finally moved to D-I in 1967.

Forty-one years later, despite three trips to the NIT, the Eagles had still not made it to the Division I Tournament, one of 48 D-I schools nationwide not to do so.

No longer, though. After American defeated Colgate, 52-46, on Friday in the Patriot League Championship Game in Bender Arena, the Eagles will finally be able to hoist another banner next to Jones': 2008 NCAA Division I Tournament.

In a back-and-forth game which featured eight ties and no lead larger than single digits, the Eagles and the Raiders were tied with 2:52 left in the contest on a free throw by Colgate's Daniel Waddy.

Just 14 seconds later, junior guard Garrison Carr hit a pair of free throws to give the Eagles a two-point advantage. But the elation from the lead didn't last long. Colgate's Kyle Roemer hit a 24-foot three-pointer with a man in his face at the 2:20 mark to rip back a one-point advantage.

Just 26 seconds later, junior guard Frank Borden - starting just his second game all season in place of the injured Bryce Simon - made a huge play, driving the lane and dishing the ball to Jordan Nichols under the basket, giving the Eagles the lead, 47-46, again. It was Borden's third assist of the game, all to Nichols, all on drives to the basket.

The Raiders had a chance to regain the lead on the next possession, but 6-9 starting center Cornelio Guibunda swatted away a Waddy shot in the lane and Borden came up with the rebound.

On the ensuing AU possession, junior forward Brian Gilmore made the first of four monumental plays. After a miss from three-point range from Carr, Gilmore dove out of bounds to save the rebound, flinging it back up court to Mercer. Mercer drove the lane and was fouled, but with a chance to give the Eagles some breathing room, Mercer missed both free throws.

Gilmore came up huge again on the next Colgate possession. He ripped down a rebound on another Waddy miss - this time with the shot clock about the expire - and then was fouled. Gilmore calmly sank two free throws to push the advantage to three points with 31.2 seconds left.

As if he hadn't already done enough, Gilmore made one more huge play. With just over 20 seconds left to play and the Eagles clinging to a three-point lead, Gilmore got his hand on the ball and knocked it away from the Raiders' Alex Woodhouse. Gilmore came up with the loose ball and dished it off to Mercer, who was fouled.

"I just knew that I wanted to get my hands on any loose ball I could," Gilmore said.

Mercer redeemed himself from earlier, hitting both free throws to give American a five-point advantage.

As the seconds ticked off the clock on Colgate's final possession, Roemer fired up a three-pointer that missed, and Gilmore yet again came down with the board. He was fouled, and went to the line. But before he got there, he looked up at the scoreboard, then turned to the crowd, smiled and clapped his hands.

"It was neat looking up at the scoreboard and knowing we were going to win," Gilmore said. "It was great seeing the fans so happy. Knowing that we'll have an opportunity to play a game in the NCAA Tournament is an unbelievable feeling."

On Sunday, American will watch the NCAA Selection Show (Sunday at 6 p.m. on CBS), knowing they have already earned a berth into the Tournament, a fact that satisfies Jones.

"I'm happy for so many people," Jones said. "The AU grads ... seeing so many faces down there [courtside after the game]. I could list so many guys who have waited so long and endured a lot of disappointment. It's great to know they can watch on Sunday and feel a sense of pride to be in [the tournament]."

After it was all over and the Eagles had won, an AU alum held up a sign courtside that read, "The Wait Is Over." Yes it is, American. Yes it is.

Game Notes:

• Garrison Carr led the Eagles with 17 points, earning PL Tournament MVP honors.
• The Raiders outshot the Eagles, 40.5 percent to 34.0 percent.
• American hit seven-of-10 free throws in the last three minutes to seal the win.
• AU outscored the Raiders, 22-12, in points in the paint and 24-5 in bench scoring, led by 11 points from Gilmore.
• Carr led AU in rebounds with five.
• Colgate forward Alex Woodhouse had a game- and career-high 16 rebounds, four blocks and eight points.
• The Eagles set a record by scoring the fewest points (52) by a winner of the PL title game.