Colonels advance to round two with 69-55 win
Playing in its first NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament since 1992, the Centre College men's basketball team made up for lost time defeating Capital University 69-55 in a first round game Friday, March 3 in Wooster, Ohio.
The win ups the Colonels' overall record to 24-4 and also marks the first NCAA Tournament win by a Centre men's team since the 1989 season, when the Colonels advanced all the way to the Final Four. Capital ends its season with a 19-9 overall record.
The first half was tightly contested for much of the first half with neither team leading by more than five points through the first 15:20 of the game. Trailing by one point (18-17), sophomore guard Ryan Crowdis (Louisville, Ky.) sparked a 13-4 run with six straight points, to help Centre take a 30-22 lead into the locker room.
Even more impressive was the fact Centre played all but seven minutes of the first half without its leading scorer, junior guard Matt Nestheide (Edgewood, Ky.), who left the game due to an injury.
Nestheide returned to start the second half and and helped the Colonels push their lead to 13 points (37-24) just over two minutes into the second period. Capital responded with a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 37-30 with 15:05 left to play, but the Crusaders would get no closer as Centre answered with a run of its own, outscoring Capital 11-2 to extend its lead to 16 points (48-32).
Capital closed the gap to eight points (56-48) with 4:46 to play but was outscored 13-7 to close the game and finished its season with a 14-point defeat.
Junior guard Thomas Britt (Louisville, Ky.) scored a team-high 19 points to lead Centre. Britt was seven of 12 from the floor, including five of eight from the three-point arc in 29 minutes of action.
Nestheide, who scored only two points in the first half, finished with 12 points in the second half for 14 total points. He also added four assists, two rebounds and two steals. Senior forward Matt Jacobson (Lagrange, Ky.) added eight points and a game-high eight rebounds in the victory.
Capital's Steve Kyser was the lone Crusader in double figures. Kyser scored a game-high 22 points on nine of 14 shooting and added three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Centre will meet the #2 ranked team in the country and host, the College of Wooster in a second round game, Saturday, March 4. Wooster (26-3) dismantled Transylvania University in the second game of the evening 92-66. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Wooster, Ohio.
There will also be a reception prior to the game at the Olde Jaol Restaurant, located at 215 North Walnut Street from 4 pm-6 pm in Wooster, Ohio. The reception is open to parents, alumni and friends of Centre. For directions, please call (330) 262-3333.
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