Men Punch Title Game Ticket
March 7, 2009
Jordan Frosch
Clarke Hale's running jumper settled into the net with two seconds remaining to put the Bulldogs in Sunday's championship game. The Bulldogs will play the winner of Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville later this afternoon. Hale's basket set off an emotional celebration between SWOSU and its traveling fans who have waited for this moment since the Bulldogs joined NCAA Division II and the LSC 12 years ago.
Jerard Campbell led SWOSU with 18 points as the Bulldogs improved to 19-10 with the win. A victory in the championship game Sunday will send the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II National Tournament for only the second time in school history.
SWOSU also got considerable scoring contributions from Abdullah Lawal and Jordan Frosch who each scored 14 points.
The Bulldogs led for the most part of the game until a cold stretch in the second half allowed UCO to pull in front. SWOSU made just three of its first 22 shots and watched as UCO took a 56-50 lead with 6:00 to play.
Lawal was again the catalyst in the turnaround. He recorded a steal and then fed Hale who drilled a three-pointer to put SWOSU back in front at 57-56 with 4:14 to play. Lawal then hit a quick jumper on the baseline and SWOSU's lead was 61-56 with 2:20 to play. Another steal by Lawal resulted in two more free throws that gave SWOSU a 65-59 with 2:00 minutes to play.
UCO, who went scoreless for a five-minute stretch, scrambled back in the final seconds through a series of miscues on the Bulldogs and managed to tie the game at 67-67 when Eric Casenave rattled in a three-pointer with 18 seconds to play.
Casenave led the Bronchos with 16 points. UCO, which had beaten SWOSU twice before this season, fell to 24-5 with the loss.
SWOSU started the game crisply executing their offense and creating havoc on the defensive end. The Bulldogs were up 12-4 on a Kenneth White three-pointer with 16:00 to play. SWOSU built its lead even more moments later when Kendall Smith hit a three-pointer with 13:00 to play to put the Bulldogs in front 20-9
The remainder of the first half both played a physical brand of basketball with the Bronchos slowly chipping away at SWOSU's lead. The Bronchos had tied it at 25-25 before the Bulldogs pulled in front at the beak 33-31.
SWOSU coach Todd Thurman, who announced earlier this week that he would retire as basketball coach for the Bulldogs, was proud of his team's emotional effort.
"It was an unreal out there. Both teams played their hearts out. I have a group of seniors who left everything on the floor, including part of their skin in some cases," Thurman said. "I thought our kids just out fought them. We're not bigger, we're not more athletic. We just wanted it more."