Typically in a eight-team tournament format, the quarterfinal matchup between the fourth and fifth seeds is generally the most competitive of the games. And Cameron and Incarnate Word didn’t disappoint, playing down to the wire in Wednesday’s third quarterfinal game that needed an overtime to decide.
And it was the fifth-seed Aggies of Cameron, who trailed by as much as 16 in the second half, that had just enough in the end to win 77-68.
The Aggies, who scored only 15 points in the first half, scored exactly 15 in overtime, coming up with big baskets and clutch stops to advance to Friday’s quarterfinal round against the winner of Midwestern State / Texas A&M-Commerce.
While Cameron improves to 15-10, the Aggies are hoping to move up in the South Central Regional rankings, currently sitting at 10th with the top eight teams advancing to the regional. The Cardinals’ are likely finished for the 2012 season, falling to 16-11.
With the game knotted at 62-62 at the end of regulation, Cameron used the momentum to rally in overtime. A big 3-point shot by Thomas Razor gave the Aggies a four-point lead and they never looked back. Desmond Henry led all scorers with 26 points, including 14-of-20 on free throws.
The game was a matchup of two of the LSC’s best offensive players and one of the top defenders as well. Cameron’s Milton Garner, the Player of the Year in the conference, got off to a slow start, scoring no points in the first half. Garner often faced UIW defender Shan Umeh, the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the LSC. But Garner picked it up in the second half, scoring all 13 points.
UIW’s Chris Johnson, a first-team All-LSC pick, scored 19 points and pulled down 10 boards. Lyndale Brown had 20 points for the Cardinals, who shot just 2-of-14 from 3-point land. Dionelle Rucker added 14 points and eight rebounds.
In the first half, Cameron struggled from the floor, shooting 21 percent to score just 15 points. But midway through the second, Cameron used a 16-0 run to pull even at 42-42 with 9:41 to play, only to see IWU respond with seven straight.
The Aggies would eventually rally to tie the game and force overtime, where the momentum carried them to an overtime win.
Cameron notes
• Tonight’s 77-68, overtime, win over Incarnate Word marked the Aggies’ first LSC tournament win since taking a 76-72 win over Texas A&M-Commerce during the 1992 tournament. The Aggies now sport an overall tournament record of 3-7.
• Desmond Henry attempted 20 free throws tonight (making 14). Those 20 were just two shy of the all-time tournament high of 22 attempts, set by Midwestern State’s Marquette Wilkins (vs. Tarleton State) in 2004.
• After not scoring in the entire first half, Milton Garner, Cameron’s leading scorer, tallied 13 second-half points. He didn’t score his first points until the 15:23 mark of the second half when he canned a pair of free throws. Garner’s three-pointer at the 3:29 mark of the second half helped to erase an eight-point CU deficit and tied the game, 59-59.
• The Aggies trailed by as many as16 points on several occasions. The most recent was 26-42 with 15:09 to play in the second half. The Aggies then went on a 16-0 run to tie the score, 42-42 with 9:28 to play in the second half.
UIW notes
• UIW was making their first appearance in the Lone Star Conference Tournament. They joined the league in the summer of 2010 after leaving the Heartland Conference.
• UIW went 1-2 against Cameron this season. Cameron won 68-62 on December 16 and UIW won 68-65 in overtime on February 11 before Cameron’s overtime victory in round one.
• UIW finishes the year 2-2 in overtime, both losses coming at the hands of Cameron.
• Junior guard Lyndale Brown tied his season-high point production with 20. He also scored 20 on November 19 against Saint Mary’s, a game that also went to overtime.
• Senior forward Chris Johnson recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds. His 10 rebounds led the team, a feat that he accomplished 15 times total this season.
• Junior forward Dionelle Rucker scored 14 points, his 14th double-digit scoring game of the season.
• UIW finished the season ranked in the top 15 nationally for steals per game with 9.8 a contest, but only forced six against Cameron.
• UIW’s final record of 16-11 in 2011-2012 gives head coach Ken Burmiester his seventh-consecutive winning season with the program.
• On the year UIW was 15-4 when leading at the half. Wednesday night’s contest was the first time they lost a game in which they led by more than 10 at the half.
CU quotes
Head Coach Wade Alexander
“The first half seemed like we came out and didn’t run our plays. We came back after halftime with a lot of heart, ran our plays and had a good result.”
“When you face a deficit like that, shot selection was a major key. We needed to get to the basket, get fouled and get to the line, to overcome that deficit.”
“You have to get good stops and get rebounds and allow just one shot to overcome that deficit.”
On Garner “We needed him to play his game, and get others like Desmond (Henry) to step up.”
Milton Garner
“In the first half, my shots weren’t falling, but I kept in there and kept taking the right shots to help my teammates.”
Thomas Razor
“The first half was scary, but we tried to keep our composure. I’ve been a leader and I tried to keep being a leader.”
UIW quotes
Head coach Ken Burmeister
“ As good as we played in the first half, we played as bad in the second half.”
“We had too many turnovers, too many charges, too many fouls, and we didn’t get back in our transition defense.”
Chris Johnson
“ For the most part, we had the lead, we were excited.”
“ We didn’t come out the way they did in the second half. They wanted it more.”
Shaun Umeh
“I had a big assignment myself defensively. I focused my energy on that. I was slow to pick it up on the other end.”
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