Title Bid Falls Short
March 8, 2009
Abdullah Lawal
Midwestern State leaves Bartlesville as the best team in the Lone Star Conference and with a 24-6 record. The Mustangs secured the league's automatic bid in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
As for the Bulldogs, the loss ends the run by head coach Todd Thurman, who announced before the tournament he is stepping down from the position to concentrate solely on his Athletic Director duties at SWOSU. SWOSU finishes the year at 19-11.
LSC South Division Player of the Year Nolan Richardson, who had scored 40 points in the first two games of the tournament, picked up two early fouls and had just two points at the half. But Richardson hit three 3-pointers in the second half and finished the game with 15 points, earning MVP honors of the tournament.
SWOSU had three players in double figures, led by Clarke Hale's 17 points. Kenneth White scored 16 and Jordan Frosch added 10. The Bulldogs were one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the LSC, but were just 5-of-23 on Sunday.
The Mustangs got some huge production off the bench from both Anthony Moore, who scored 13 points and had 14 rebounds. Trajinksi Grigsby had 15 points, hitting three big 3-pointers. Point guard Earl Rabb had seven points, six assists and four rebounds.
SWOSU trailed by as much as seven in the first half, but cut it to 34-29 at the half. The Bulldogs scored the first points of the second half to cut the lead to three, but they would never get any closer. Midwestern went on an 8-1 run, paced by two Richardson 3-pointers.
A 3-pointer by Grigsby with 7:26 to play gave MSU its largest lead at 15, although SWOSU would trim it down to six with a minute to play. But free throws by Richardson and Moore put the game away, giving the championship to the Mustangs.
Hale and Abdullah Lawal were among five players announced at the game's conclusion as members of the all-tournament team.