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 Evans finished his senior season with a school-record 232 assists, the most total assists in the nation this year. |
March 13, 2005
FINDLAY, Ohio - Wayne State's vie to get back to the Division II Sweet Sixteen for the second straight season fell short as the fifth-seeded Warriors fell by the score of 63-49 to the top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Findlay (29-3) in the Great Lakes Regional Semifinals Sunday, March 13 at Croy Gymnasium. It was the fourth meeting of the season between the Interstate 75 rivals as UF advances to the All-GLIAC regional final against Ferris State who knocked off Southern Indiana of the GLVC in the early game. WSU finishes the season at 20-12, the best record under fourth-year head coach David Greer.
After UF scored first, junior center Erik Parker (Oak Park, Mich.) battled inside and got the three-point play to put the Warriors up 3-2. Both teams misfired on three straight possessions until Findlay converted on a three-point play of its own. The Wayne State big men scored four in a row as senior Tariq Mills (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Parker answered with back-to-back jumpers for a 7-5 WSU lead.
The Warriors went up 11-7 on a Darrell Evans (Detroit, Mich.) layup with 12:21 to play in the half, but the Oilers went on a seven-point sprint over the next 2:03. WSU then got two more buckets by Parker, who had nine of the team's first 15 points, to recapture the lead.
Findlay's Matt Metzger drained a three with 4:52 on the clock to put the Oilers up 19-17, but Morris Hall (Detroit, Mich.) made a pair of foul shots to tie the game. With the score knotted at 21, Hall got a steal that led to an offensive put-back by junior Herb Goliday (Royal Oak Twp., Mich.). Metzger's desperation three-point shot at the buzzer was good and the Oilers took a 24-23 lead into the half.
Metzger scored to open the second half, but Goliday connected on consecutive baskets to put the Warriors up 27-26. Findlay then went on a 12-2 run to go ahead 38-29 with 11:04 to play in the contest. WSU fought back with a 7-2 run that included five points by Evans to come within four points.
Warrior junior Ethan Banks (Warren, Ohio) hit a trey with 7:41 on the clock to clinch his school record three-point percentage mark of 45.7, but UF's completed a 23-10 spurt in the final eight minutes to remain a perfect 19-0 at home this year.
WSU got in foul trouble in the second half as the Warriors were called for 16 penalties compared to Findlay's four. The total margin for the night was 23-8.
WSU's defense held the Findlay guards, Dustin Pfeifer and Tyson McGlaughlin, scoreless for the first 33:33 of the game before Pfeifer went 6-for-6 from the line. Metzger led all scorers with 20 points as Goliday scored 17 for the Warriors.
Wayne State as a team, along with Hall and Goliday both individually, tied the school record for games played at 32. Evans finished his senior season with a school-record 232 assists, the most total assists in the nation this year.
Seven of WSU's 12 losses were to teams ranked in the top 20 in the nation. The Warriors lose three seniors in Morris Hall, Darrell Evans and Tariq Mills, but return Goliday and Parker who are their top two rebounders and rank second and third in scoring.
Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach David Greer:
On Findlay:
"They are a very good basketball team, obviously having played them for the fourth time (we know), they've got great balance. It was tough out there, i thought our guys competed really hard, we just didn't get a couple of the breaks to go our way."
On Morris Hall and Darrell Evans:
"They competed every step of the way and I'm really proud of them. They are quality young men and they exemplify what intercollegiate athletics is all about-the competition and the sportsmanship-and I'm proud of them, they held their own all year long."
On the season:
"Every time we take the court, we have high expectations. If you don't think you can win, you shouldn't be in intercollegiate athletics and that's why we keep score. These guys have given me everything i could ever ask for and we reached most of our goals."
Senior guard Morris Hall:
"I felt great about how the game was going, we were clicking on defense and playing together as a team. It's just one of those things...that's the way the ball bounces sometimes."
