Tom Port dunks the ball on Amherst's Dan O'Shea late in the second half to tie the game at 53-53.

SALEM, Va. – The College of Wooster overcame a double-digit deficit early in the second half and then held the lead for several minutes, but Amherst College outscored the Fighting Scots 11-1 down the stretch, keying a 67-60 victory Friday night at the Salem Civic Center, which sends the Lord Jeffs into the NCAA Div. III Tournament championship game.

Wooster (29-4) will play the loser of tonight’s second national semifinal Saturday in the consolation at 2 p.m.

The Scots led 60-59 with 2:02 to go, however, on the ensuing possession the Lord Jeffs’ Kevin Hopkins finished a short left-handed hook to give his squad a lead that it would not relinquish.

Both teams traded defensive stops before Wooster took over possession with 52.0 remaining. Tom Port (Avon Lake, Ohio / Avon Lake) attempted a drive to the basket, lost the ball, was tied up, and the possession arrow went to Amherst at the 39.0 mark.
The Scots quickly fouled and Hopkins made both for a 62-59 Amherst advantage.

On the next possession, Wooster had a look to tie the game. First, James Cooper (Springfield, Ohio / Springfield South) missed a jumper in the lane, but he got his own rebound and found Port in the left corner, who attempted a 3-pointer. It bounced off the back rim and was rebounded by Andrew Olson, who was then fouled with 18.1 seconds to go.

Olson sunk both free throws, making it a 65-60 game, and he would add two more after another missed jumper by the Scots for the final seven-point margin.

The Lord Jeffs (29-2) came out quickly, making their first four 3-pointer en route to an 18-4 lead just 4:35 into the game. Wooster would cut the margin to seven (24-17) and missed a pair of 3-pointers that would have pulled it within four. Instead, Amherst went on another run and led 39-25 at the half.

The Scots opened the second scoring the first six points and going on an overall run of 21-4, capped by a Cooper 3-pointer, which gave them a 46-43 lead.

On the ensuing possession, the Lord Jeffs scored five points to retake the lead. First, Tim McLaughlin connected on a 3-pointer from the right wing and was fouled. He was unable to convert the four-point play, but Amherst collected the offensive rebound off the missed free throw and Olson found Dan Wheeler for a lay-up to retake the lead at 48-46.

Steve Moore looks for a timeout, but the officials ruled a loose ball under Amherst's basket with 39 seconds left was a held ball, and the possession arrow gave the ball back to Amherst with a 61-60 lea

The Lord Jeffs extended that lead to seven (53-46) before another Wooster run. A pair of Port free throws, followed by an Andy Van Horn (Loudonville, Ohio / Loudonville) 3-pointer and Port fast-break dunk tied it 53-53. Brandon Johnson (Columbus, Ohio / Groveport Madison) then added a free throw for a one-point lead (54-53).

Moments later, another Cooper 3-pointer put the Scots ahead 57-54. Wooster had a couple of chances to make it a two-possession game, but turned it over both times.

With the Scots leading 59-56, Hopkins made a three-point play to tie the game once again at the 3:26 mark, setting up the final exciting minutes.

Wooster was led by Tim Vandervaart (North Canton, Ohio / Hoover), who scored 20 points, including 12 in the first half, which helped keep the Scots within striking distance. Port and Cooper contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively, while Johnson paced the squad in rebounds with seven.

Amherst’s McLaughlin connected on 4-of-7 3-pointers as part of a 16-point effort, while Olson posted a stat line of 15 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and three steals.

The difference in the game may have been Wooster’s 5-of-19 3-point shooting (.263), which marked the second-lowest made and percentage on the season for the Scots.