No. 2 Spring Arbor (Mich.) tops No. 4 IU East in NAIA DII national quarterfinals
No. 2 Spring Arbor (Mich.) tops No. 4 IU East in NAIA DII national quarterfinals
By IU East Sports Information
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Indiana University East men's basketball season came to an end March 9 in the Round of 8 at the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship. A hot-shooting Spring Arbor University team knocked off the Red Wolves by an 89-77 score in the Sanford Pentagon.
IU East was making its fourth consecutive appearance in the national tournament quarterfinals.
UPDATING THE RECORDS
IU East, the No. 4 seed in the tournament's "Liston Bracket," finishes 26-9. Spring Arbor (28-7), the No. 2 seed in the "Liston Bracket," advances to the national semifinals for the first time in its history.
KEY MOMENTS
* After eight ties in the first 12 minutes, Spring Arbor finished the first half with a 16-6 run to take a 45-35 lead into the locker room. The Cougars then scored the first seven points of the second half to extend their lead to 17 points. IU East found itself playing uphill the rest of the afternoon.
* Brandon Durnell's running 3-pointer for Spring Arbor from 25 feet out and the shot clock running out after the ball had been knocked into the backcourt just a few moments earlier was the play the summed up the afternoon. Those points put the Cougars ahead 64-46 with 11 minutes to go. IU East could get no closer than 11 the rest of the way.
TRENDING
* Spring Arbor finished with a .600 field goal percentage, the best percentage for a Red Wolf opponent since Jan. 1. Spring Arbor has now shot .600 or better from the field in all three of its national tournament games.
* IU East compiled a record of 110-34 in the four-year careers of seniors Aaron Thomas and Nate Niehoff. Fellow seniors Kendall Rollins and Ray Ramsey also played their final games in IU East uniforms.
* IU East is one of two schools in the nation to reach the quarterfinals at the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship in each of the past four seasons.
* Bishop Smith led IU East in scoring with 21 points. Kendall Rollins came off of the bench to add 17 points. Aaron Thomas had 10 rebounds to finish his career with a program-record 1,176 rebounds.
* Paul Marandet and Brandon Durnell scored 20 points apiece for Spring Arbor.
QUOTABLE
"We didn't play our best game. We had spurts of playing well, but couldn't put it together. It's kind of been our story all year, trying to put together a full 40 minutes. It's the same story, different day.
"Thanks to IU East for giving me the opportunity to come and play basketball and go to school. Our four years, Nate (Niehoff) and I, and the three years (fellow seniors) Ray (Ramsey) and Kendall (Rollins) have been a part of it, it's been a blast. I've got a lot of memories I'll cherish." - Aaron Thomas