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March 19, 2008

A nightmare finish for URI

OMAHA _ It was as if the URI basketball team was forced to relive a nightmare.

Even worse, it was like Groundhog Day. It was as if it was happening over and over again. And the ending always was the same. URI would lead for most of a game, but then get beaten at the end.

Because it put an capper to the season, the one that took place last night might have been the most painful of all. Cavel Witter, who had been 0-for-7 from the floor for the game, hit a 3-point shot from the left wing with three seconds left, giving Creighton a 74-73 thriller over Rhode Island in an NIT opening round game at the Qwest Center.

The shot gave the Bluejays their second lead of the night. The other one had been at 3-0. Rhode Island controlled play much of the way, led by as many as 17 and was still up by 12 (70-58) with 3:08 left.

But, as happened against Charlotte in the Atlantic 10 tournament, as happened in an overtime loss at Temple, as seemed to happen way too often, it all ended bitterly for the Rams.

``That game looked like our season,’’ said Rhody guard Parfait Bitee. ``We started pretty well. The second half we didn’t have a clue. At least that’s what it looked like.’’

Bitee, like many of his teammates, was still in uniform more than a half hour after it ended, still sitting in front of his locker. It was a bitter pill under any circumstances, all the more so because it was the repeat of what has happened so often as the team lost nine of its last 11 to finish 21-12.

``When you are up 20 (actually 17), you should seal the deal,’’ said fellow co-captain Will Dainels. ``We couldn’t defend the three. We didn’t defend the three well all season. (Charlotte’s Leemire) Goldwire did it to us. They did it to us tonight.’’

The loss was the 10th in single digits for URI.

In some, the team did not play well down the stretch. But in the last two, the 75-73 loss to Charlotte in the A-10 tournament, and last night, URI played well, more than well enough to win. They simply could not close it out.

``The kids gave their heart. They put everything into it. It was just a tremendous effort,’’ said URI coach Jim Baron. ``It was a great game.’’

URI carried play most of the way. It scored 12 straight after Creighton had taken a 3-0 lead. The Rams led 35-19, 45-30 at the half and 50-33. Creighton made a run and got within 54-50. But URI, playing shorthanded after Keith Cothran injured an ankle with 8:08 left in the first half, got contributions from numerous sources.

Will Daniels finished with 16 points, Jimmy Baron 13 and Lamont Ulmer 12 off the bench. Jason Francis, Delroy James and Marquis Jones, getting extended minutes because of Cothran’s injury, all made big plays as the Rams fought off the Creighton rally. The Ram lead grew to 61-50 after a Francis putback and Baron 3-pointer. A 17-footer by James and then a layup by Jones off a backdoor cut and feed from James made it 70-58 with 3:09 left.

But that’s when all the bad memories started coming back.

P’Allen Stinnett had a 3-pointer and Booker Woodfox two as the Jays rallied. The Jays pulled within one in the final minute. Jones was fouled and made one of two foul shots to make it 73-71 Rhode Island. Creighton called a time out with 11 seconds left to set up a play. URI decided to come out in a zone.

``We thought if we came out in man they would take it to the bucket and we might have to go to overtime,’’ Baron said. He was right. That’s the play Creighton coach Dana Altman called.
``We were running an inside penetration for P’Allen,’’ Altman said. ``They double teamed him. He made a really good decision.’’

Stinnett almost lost the ball as two defenders came at him at the top of the key. He had it down around his knees with two guys on him when he saw Witter on the left.

``I told P’Allen before the play they’d probably double team him. I told him, `You’ve been killing them (Stinnett had 22 points),’’ Witter said. ``I told him, `If you don’t have it. I’ll be ready.’ He trusted me and I trusted myself.’’

``He made a really good decision. That’s really tough to do as a freshman,’’ Altman said.

Witter drilled home to the winner to the delight of the crowd of 7,948, one of the smallest in Creighton’s Qwest Center history.

It was the12th 3-pointer for the Bluejays. They shot better from the 3-point line on the night (40 percent) than they did overall (36.7 percent). The made their last four 3-point attempts. Just as in the Charlotte game, a miss on any of them probably would have meant losing the game.

``It’s got to be heartbreaking for Rhode Island,’’ Altman said. ``They popped us for 30 minutes. We basically won the last three or four and won the game.’’

It is a story that turned into a nightmare for the Rams, one they had to live through way too often.

``It’s bad that our season has to be summed up like this,’’ Daniels said.

Posted by Paul Kenyon at 1:41 AM to URI Basketball | Permalink

March 19, 2008

A nightmare finish for URI

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