Men's Hoops season ends with 72-70 NCAA loss

L, 70-72
Buena Vista (M), March 07, 2008

Travis Person scored 12 points to lead a balanced attack and Rahn Franklin made four free throws in the final 1:00 to lead unranked Buena Vista (Iowa) to a 72-70 victory over No. 18-ranked St. Thomas in Friday's NCAA Division III men's basketball quarterfinal game at UST's Schoenecker Arena.

The Beavers (22-6), who received 28 bench points from five different players, advance to Saturday's 7 p.m. game against No. 9-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point, a 67-53 winner over Chicago.

The Beavers, who shot 47% from the field, played sharp over the first 37 minutes, then held off a furious rally by St. Thomas (23-5), which lost for the first time in 13 home games this year.

Buena Vista didn't make a field goal in the last 4:00 and survived its own 20 turnovers plus a 24-point, 11-rebound game by Tommie junior forward B.J. Viau.

UST used a 12-2 run in a late 2:00 stretch tie the game 68-68. Franklin made two free throws with 60 seconds left, and after a Tommie turnover and a missed 3-point shot, Franklin made two more with :09 to play for a 72-68 lead. Viau's layup with :05 left pulled UST within two. Franklin missed two free throws with :02.6 left, and Viau's half-court shot was in and out of the rim to preserve a Buena Vista win.

Buena Vista used a 25-3 run to build a 34-20 first-half lead. The Toms answered with a 16-7 run to close the half down 41-36.

UST trailed all second half and was still down 66-56 with 3:30 left. But the Toms forced four turnovers on the press and tied the score at 68-68 on Joe Scott's 3-pointer with 1:33. But the Toms couldn't get the last basket to win or extend the game.

Scott had 12 points and Lonnie Robinson had a career-high 10 assists. UST freshman guard Tyler Nicolai, slowed by the flu, hit two 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes but was scoreless thereafter in just 15 minutes on the game. UST shot just 39% from the field and were outscored 20-13 at the foul line.

Click here for box score:

http://www.tommiesports.com/mbb/stats/3-7-mbb.htm