2008 Woodie Awards
Championship dreams begin on the road
DeMario Anderson's half-court buzzer-beater secures fifth seed for Bobcats
Daniel Baker
Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: Sports
The final week of the season showcased the pinnacle moment in Bobcats basketball. DeMario Anderson's game-winning 3-pointer from half-court, which gave the Bobcats a 76-73 win over in-state rival Central Connecticut, was featured on ESPN's Sportscenter as the No. 1 play.
"It's a dream come true, something you always think about," Anderson said. "It also gave us a lot of great exposure."
The Bobcats followed the thrilling win by losing their season finale to Wagner 77-68 on Saturday and dropped ri fifth place in the Northeast Conference standings. Quinnipiac will travel to take on fourth place Mount St. Mary's on Thursday at 7 p.m.
If the Bobcats want to break out their dancing shoes for the 'Big Dance' in a few weeks, they'll have to start their run by winning their first NEC Tournament game on the road.
The Bobcats were picked earlier in the season to finish in fifth place in the NEC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll. After racing out to an 8-2 start in conference play, the Bobcats finished their conference schedule only 3-5 in their last eight contests. However, now it comes down to one game at a time and anything can happen once a team gets into tournament play.
The dramatics of last Thursday night began when Central Connecticut's Kyle Horton drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 73-73 with 2.5 seconds left in overtime. On the ensuing inbound, Anderson caught the ball took a few dribbles and launched a shot just in front of the half-court line. The ball went through the basket, nothing but net, and Anderson and the rest of his teammates ran right out of the gym as they had knocked off the Blue Devils 76-73.
Anderson led all scorers with 28 points, while Louis Brookins chipped in with a double-double that included 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bobcats had lost eight straight games to their in-state rivals. The win over the Blue Devils guaranteed that the Bobcats would finish no lower than fifth, but they could still finish in fourth and secure at least one home playoff game.
"It's a dream come true, something you always think about," Anderson said. "It also gave us a lot of great exposure."
The Bobcats followed the thrilling win by losing their season finale to Wagner 77-68 on Saturday and dropped ri fifth place in the Northeast Conference standings. Quinnipiac will travel to take on fourth place Mount St. Mary's on Thursday at 7 p.m.
If the Bobcats want to break out their dancing shoes for the 'Big Dance' in a few weeks, they'll have to start their run by winning their first NEC Tournament game on the road.
The Bobcats were picked earlier in the season to finish in fifth place in the NEC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll. After racing out to an 8-2 start in conference play, the Bobcats finished their conference schedule only 3-5 in their last eight contests. However, now it comes down to one game at a time and anything can happen once a team gets into tournament play.
The dramatics of last Thursday night began when Central Connecticut's Kyle Horton drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 73-73 with 2.5 seconds left in overtime. On the ensuing inbound, Anderson caught the ball took a few dribbles and launched a shot just in front of the half-court line. The ball went through the basket, nothing but net, and Anderson and the rest of his teammates ran right out of the gym as they had knocked off the Blue Devils 76-73.
Anderson led all scorers with 28 points, while Louis Brookins chipped in with a double-double that included 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bobcats had lost eight straight games to their in-state rivals. The win over the Blue Devils guaranteed that the Bobcats would finish no lower than fifth, but they could still finish in fourth and secure at least one home playoff game.
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