Scots' Game-Winning 3-Pointer Falls Off Rim, as Pioneers Advance, 88-86, in NCAA's

MARIETTA, Ohio – The College of Wooster had a quality look at a game-winning 3-pointer from the left wing, but it hit the rim twice and then fell off as Marietta College prevailed 88-86 during the teams' back-and-forth NCAA Div. III Men's Basketball Championship second-round game at Ban Johnson Arena on Saturday night.

On the previous possession, RaNeal Ewing of Marietta (27-3) drove to the hoop and hit a tough jumper in the lane with 4.6 seconds to play to break an 86-86 tie.

After a couple of timeouts, Wooster (23-7) executed the play it drew up as point guard Spencer Williams quickly got the ball up floor to Dan Fanelly, a 44 percent 3-pointer shooter, and his attempt was just an inch or two off the mark.

The Scots were down 54-44 early in the second, and 64-56 around the midway point, then rallied to set up an exciting finish. Wooster's 11-2 run at that point included two Milt Davis 3-pointers as the visitors gained the lead for the first time in the half.

A Fanelly lay-up put the Scots up 69-68, however, the Pioneers accounted for the next six points in taking a 74-69 advantage. During that stretch, Wooster was called for an offensive foul at the 4:49 mark, and after that neither team got a defensive stop until the Scots' final shot.

Davis halted the mini-run, sinking a jump shot from just inside the foul line, and Wooster was able to eventually tie it, thanks to 3-pointers from Williams, Evan Pannell, and Xavier Brown during the final stretch. Brown's evened the score at 84 with 49.6 ticks left.

Ewing answered with a jumper in the paint and Fanelly tied it again on a put-back lay-up at the 22.8 mark.

Marietta led the majority of the opening half, using an 11-5 stretch for its biggest lead to that juncture of 28-20. Then, Wooster responded with a 10-2 run, which included 3-balls by Pannell and Williams, to tie at 30.

The mini-runs continued, as Andy Stegman kick started a 7-1 stretch for the hosts by burying a 3-pointer from the left wing. Next, the Scots closed to within 41-38, and it was also a three-point game at halftime – 45-42.

The key to the game may have been the Pioneers' 9-2 start to the second half, as Wooster had to play catch-up most of the rest of the way.

Both offenses operated at a very high level, as Marietta shot 52.4 percent from the field (33-for-63) and the Scots' 46.6 percent (34-for-73), which included 11-of-29 3-pointers. They combined for just 13 turnovers.

In his final career game, Pannell pumped in a team-high 23 points, which allowed him to reach the 1,000 milestone for his career (1,005) – the 40th in Wooster's tradition-rich history to achieve that.

Brown also closed his magnificent career, as the four-time first-team all-North Coast Athletic Conference standout had 16 points to bump his career scoring mark to 1,637 – sixth-most in school history.

Fanelly had a 17-point, nine-rebound, four-assist stat line, and also in double figures were Williams and Davis with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Ewing led all players with 24 markers in the scorebook, including the last six for the Pioneers, while Eddy Grenert was a force with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots.