Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship: Semifinal Roundup
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INDIANAPOLIS – The Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship game is set after Monday’s semifinal action with No. 2 Northern Kentucky claiming its third berth into the title game in four seasons, while No. 4 UIC earned its first championship game appearance since 2004. The two teams will face off on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
RESULTS
GAME RECAPS
UIC 73, Wright State 56
By Meghan Rominger
Sports Capital Journalism Program, IUPUI
INDIANAPOLIS - Sixteen years after their last appearance in the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship final, the No. 4 seeded UIC Flames are heading back to the title game after their 73-56 defeat of the No. 1 seed Wright State Raiders on Monday night. UIC will meet Northern Kentucky on Tuesday night in search of its first NCAA tournament bid since 2004.
All-Horizon League Second Team member Tarkus Ferguson, a junior guard, was stellar in his 38 minutes of play, scoring 25 of the Flames’ 73 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor, 3-of-8 from behind the arc and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Senior guard Marcus Ottey, who scored 13 points, and junior forward Braelen Bridges, who scored 10, also contributed double-digit point totals. Junior guard Godwin Boahen pulled in a game-high 10 rebounds and added nine points of his own.
Bill Wampler, a senior forward, led the Raiders with 14 points, shooting 5-of-18 from the floor, 3-of-8 from behind the arc and making his only free throw.
The 17-point margin of victory was the most one-sided defeat for a top-seeded team in the tournament in eight years, since Valparaiso lost to Detroit, 70-50, in the 2012 championship game.
From the outset, it was evident that physicality and aggression would be key factors in the contest, as both teams prioritized a quick pace and strong defensive push in the first half.
The Flames were able to take control in the first half by relying on their consistent defense and taking smart, efficient shots. UIC had 24 first-half rebounds to Wright State’s 14, and the Flames shot 52 percent from the floor and 38 percent from behind the arc.
UIC’s senior leadership shined especially bright in the first half, as 32 of the team’s 41 points were scored by the senior core of Ferguson, Ottey, Blount, and Boahen.
“I think the coaches do a nice job of putting the ball in our hands to control the game and the tempo,” said Ferguson, when asked about the seniors’ reliability and leadership in the early minutes. “I think that goes to the coaches.”
The Raiders – though known and feared for their offensive prowess – also entered the game with an aggressive defensive game plan, forcing the Flames to commit eight turnovers and get into foul trouble early. Though their defensive game plan proved effective, they weren’t able to capitalize on their offensive opportunities in the first half. The Raiders were limited to 7-of-27 from the floor, 4-of-12 from the 3-point line and just 8-of-16 from the free-throw line.
“I knew [the Flames] were going to try to take advantage of us physically, and they did that,” Wampler said. “And sometimes it’s just not your day and you’re not making shots.”
Wright State entered the second half attempting to slow down the pace and refocus its efforts on a stronger offensive push. Though they were successful at slowing down their offense as a whole and taking better, uncontested shots, they still weren’t able to sink buckets and string together a momentum-inducing run.
UIC continued to work quickly and efficiently in the second half, pulling in rebounds and refraining from forcing up rushed shots. After running the lead up to 27 with 7:06 to play, UIC continued to put pressure on the Raiders in the final minutes, never allowing their lead to dwindle to less than 14 in the second half.
The Flames proved they’re not only a potent defensive team, but also a capable and scary offensive team, shooting 29-of-60 from the floor, 4-of-16 from behind the arc, and 11-of-15 from behind the free-throw line. They pulled in 37 defensive rebounds and 47 rebounds total.
UIC head coach Steve McClain praised his team’s sensibility and levelheadedness, noting that it was the driving factor behind its performance. “Our whole thing is ‘no regrets,’” said McClain. “I thought that’s how we played tonight, and that’s how we’re going to play tomorrow night.”
Wright State, despite its status as the No. 2 scoring offense in the Horizon League and the No. 6 scoring offense in NCAA men’s Division I basketball, was never able to string together an effective offensive surge. The Raiders ended the contest shooting 17-of-60 from the floor, 7-of-28 from behind the 3-point line and only 15-of-29 from the free-throw line. Though they improved their performance off the glass in the second half, they were outrebounded by UIC, 47-33.
For the Flames to earn their first NCAA tournament berth since 2004, they’ll need another strong offensive and defensive showing against Northern Kentucky. UIC has a 3-7 record against the Norse after a loss at home on January 10 and a victory on the road on February 16. But their current hot streak — they’ve won 12 of their last 16 games — proves that they’ll be a difficult opponent to take down.
The UIC team that had a record of 6-12 after its January loss to the Norse is ready to reclaim the Horizon League Championship trophy.
“It’s never about our opponent,” said UIC’s Boahen. “It’s about us.”
UIC 67, Youngstown State 61
By Matt Karner
Sports Capital Journalism Program, IUPUI
INDIANAPOLIS - The second-seeded Northern Kentucky Norse defeated No. 3 Green Bay Phoenix, 80-69, in a semifinal of the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship.
Northern Kentucky (22-9) will return to the championship game for the second-straight year and the third time in four seasons to play UIC on Tuesday evening.
The Norse grabbed the momentum and sparked a run with 14:35 remaining in the game with two-straight possessions hitting the offensive glass and converting on second chance opportunities. From that moment on, redshirt junior Jalen Tate took Northern Kentucky’s offense into his own hands. Tate drove to the basket at every chance. Tate converted at the rim and followed up his performance by scoring 10 of his game high 23 points at the free-throw line.
“I realized if I took less jumpers I’d have more chances to get to the line to get my teammates involved,” Tate said.
Green Bay (17-16) maintained striking distance in large part to redshirt senior JayQuan McCloud and freshman Amari Davis, who led the Phoenix with 16 and 14 points, respectively. The Northern Kentucky crowd was ignited by a 3-point basket from senior Dantez Walton with 2:59 to play to give the Norse an eight-point lead and a return to the Horizon League Championship game.
“It’s an unbelievable experience,” Walton said. “To make it this far and enjoy the moment. The road to get here is a humbling experience.”
Northern Kentucky boasts one of the best defenses in the Horizon League. The Norse are first during conference play allowing 65.3 points per game while holding their opponents to 41.7 percent shooting from the field. The Norse held Green Bay to 69 points, 12 points below its season average.
“I thought we competed hard and played hard,” said Green Bay head coach Linc Darner. “When you play a team like Northern Kentucky, you got to make shots and we didn’t have one of our better shooting nights and I think their defense has a lot to do with that.”
Northern Kentucky outrebounded the Phoenix 22-17 in the second half, while also outscoring Green Bay 21-3 at the free-throw line.
“We really challenged our guys coming into this game that we were going to have to play physical,” said Norse head coach Darrin Horn. “Win the battle on the boards and win the battle at the free-throw line.”
Northern Kentucky’s three All-League honorees Tate, Tyler Sharpe, and Walton scored 23, 20 and 19 points, respectively, to lead the Norse.
The battle for a place in the championship game was intense from the opening tip. Green Bay started the game getting open attempts from the field and quickly used a 6-0 run to open a 7-point lead six minutes into the game. The Phoenix controlled the tempo, pushing the pace and encouraging Northern Kentucky to get out and run.
As the half continued the Norse dug in on the defensive end. Northern Kentucky forced seven turnovers with five steals to get out in transition. Going into halftime Northern Kentucky’s defense seemed to be in control, holding Green Bay to two field goals in the final 7:17 of the first half to trim an 8-point deficit to one heading into halftime.
Green Bay started the second half much of the same coming out and finding shots in the rhythm of their offense to open up a 6-point lead. Northern Kentucky once again found its defensive grit as it rallied. With its defense back in form, the Norse began finding their offense by crashing the offensive glass and driving to the basket to earn points at the free-throw line. The intensity of the Norse started a momentum swing and a 12-2 run gave Northern Kentucky a 54-49 lead to tie its largest lead of the game heading into the final minutes.
The Norse will look to extend their winning ways in Horizon League championships games as they are undefeated when reaching the tournament title game.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
| DATE |
GAME |
Time (ET) |
TV/Live Stream |
| Tuesday, March 10 |
No. 2 Northern Kentucky vs. No. 4 UIC |
7 p.m. |
ESPN |