Published: March 19, 2008 11:34 pm         

Cougars survive upset bid

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — James Spencer and Jarvis Jackson scored the final 13 points in the second overtime as No. 5 seed MSU survived an upset bid by Olivet Nazarene 87-76 Wednesday at the 71st Buffalo Funds NAIA Division I national tournament at Municipal Auditorium.

It was the first double overtime in Mountain State history.

And it couldn’t have come at a better time as the Cougars moved on to face Wayland Baptist (20-12) in the second round at 10 a.m. (EDT) Friday.

“I thought we refused to lose,” MSU coach Bob Bolen said. “Our kids were determined to win that game.”

And the Cougars did it despite losing Adron Marshall and Jason McGriff to fouls, a long three-pointer by Olivet’s Tyler Wallenfang to tie the score at 66-66 at the end of regulation and having a possible game-winning field goal by Spencer go by the books when the ball bounced off a defender’s foot.

“We could have got down after (Wallenfang) made that three at the end of regulation,” Spencer said. “And we could have got down when that ball went off the foot of one of their players. But we didn’t. We just weren’t ready to go home yet.”

MSU (31-2) outscored the Tigers 13-2 in the second overtime.

Jackson led the Cougars with 24 points, including 11-of-13 at the free throw line (four-for-four in the second overtime).

Olivet actually scored first in the second overtime, a basket by Rashad Mitchell, to go up 76-74, only the third lead the Tigers had in the second half and only their fourth lead of the game.

But Spencer came back a rattled through a three-pointer.

“That was a huge shot,” Bolen said. “For some reason after he made that we seemed to get a spark. I thought we were drained at that point, but that got us going.”

Spencer rebounded a a missed three-pointer by Ryan Paxson and got the ball to Jackson, who scored on a jumper to give MSU a three-point lead, 79-76.

After Ralph Legg rebounded yet another missed Olivet three-pointer, this one by Josh Bronke, Spencer scored on a runout that put MSU up five with 3:01 left.

Olivet then threw the ball away and Jackson was fouled. He made both, for all intents and purposes ending the game.

“We played hard, but not particularly well,” said Olivet coach Ralph Hodge, whose team eliminated the Cougars two years ago in the Sweet 16. “We had a great defensive effort, but in the second overtime we just ran out of gas. We didn’t come up with the big offensive plays when we needed them.”

With the exception, of course, of Wallenfang’s long trey to tie the game.

“We talked about fouling during the timeout (the Tigers called their final timeout with 10.7 seconds left and trailing 66-63),” Bolen said. “But fouling with nine seconds left, that’s too much time. And then they’re working the ball on the perimeter, and if you foul with five seconds left, there’s a chance you’re going to foul them taking the shot. I can’t complain about our defense. We were all over the kid. He just made an incredible shot.”

Wallenfang had hit just 4-of-22 threes on the year (.182).

“Yeah, and we had some 40 percent shooters (Paxson, son of former NBA player John Paxson, and Bronke) miss some threes, so I guess it all evens out,” Hodge said. “But that was a big shot at the end. We made enough plays to stay in the game, hang around, but we couldn’t get over the hump offensively. We’d miss a free throw or a layup.”

Mitchell made one of two free throws to give the Tigers a 71-70 lead before Spencer and Bronke traded two free throws to put the Tigers up 73-72.

Marshall then sank two free throws before Tyler Wallenfang made 1-of-2 with six seconds left to leave the score tied at 74-74.

Spencer than drove to the basket, but the ball bounced off an Olivet defender’s leg to send the game to a second OT.

“And I was going to make that basket, too,” Spencer said.

MSU played the final two overtimes without McGriff, who had 10 points and seven rebounds.

“Any time you have to be ready to go,” said Ermin Tarcin, who had 13 points and nine rebounds in a career-best 41 minutes of action. “When Jason and Tyrice (Watkins, who picked up his fourth foul with 18 minutes remaining in the second half and never returned) got into foul trouble, I knew I had to play well. It was a tough game, the most exciting game I have played in since I have been here.”

“Ermin did a great job and Papa Gassama gave us some big minutes (17),” Bolen said. “Pops is a great defender. And Olivet was trying to pound it inside late in the game.”

MSU led by seven at the half, 35-28, when Marshall (17 points, 10 rebounds) hit a buzzer-beater.

In the second half, MSU led by as many as nine.

Up 46-39 after a three by Spencer, the Tigers worked the ball in to Phil French, who scored inside and was fouled. Gassama was then hit with a technical foul. Paxson made two free throws before French came back to hit his free throw to cut the lead to 46-44. Kris Irish tied the game on the Tigers’ next trip.

Once again the Cougars pushed the lead to seven, 61-54, as McGriff was getting open inside the paint.

Then Bolen was hit with a technical for the second time this season.

Bronke made two free throws, starting a 8-2 run that made it 63-61.

Marshall made two free throws with 36.9 left to make it a two-possession game before Bronke made two on the other end to make the score 65-63.

Jackson had a chance to close it out but made just one of two with 14.6 left, setting up Wallenfang’s heroics.

“I had a chance to end it. But it went in and came out,” Jackson said. “Fortunately, we were able to pull it out.”

Olivet (17-15) was led by Wallenfang and French, who had 16 points each.

French also had 12 boards. It was his 19th double-double of the season. Bronke added 13, Paxson 12 and Mitchell 11.



OLIVET NAZARENE (17-15)

Tyler Wallenfang 5-10 5-8 16, Phil French 4-10 8-10 16, Ryan Paxson 4-15 2-2 12, Josh Bronke 3-11 5-6 13, Rashad Mitchell 4- 7 3-4 11, Darin Riddle 0-0 0-0 0, Daniel Allen 1-3 0-0 2, Dustin Rennewanz 0-0 0-0 0, Kris Irish 1-2 0-0 2, Travis Proehl 0-0 0-0 0, Ben Hall 0-0 0-0 0, Matt Mitchell 1-4 0-0 3, Tyler Baldwin 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 23-63 24-32 76.

MOUNTAIN STATE (31-2)

James Spencer 8-18 4-5 23, Jarvis Jackson 6-11 11-13 24, Tyrice Watkins 0-1 0-0 0, Adron Marshall 6-15 5-5 17, Jason McGriff 3-8 4-8 10, Ralph Legg 0-5 0-0 0, Denzel Lyles 0-2 0-0 0, Ricky Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Papa Gassama 0-2 0-0 0, Rod Green 0-1 0-0 0, Ermin Tarcin 5-8 2-2 13. Totals 28-71 26-33 87.

Halftime—MSU 35-28. End of regulation—Tied at 66. End of first overtime—Tied at 74. 3-Point Goals—Olivet 6-26 (Wallenfang 1-2, Paxson 2-11, Bronke 2-8, R. Mitchell 0-1, Allen 0-1, Irish 0-1, M. Mitchell 1-2); MSU 5-26 (Spencer 3-7, J. Jackson 1-3, Watkins 0-1, Marshall 0-5, McGriff 0-2, Legg 0-3, Lyles 0-2, Tarcin 1-3). Fouled Out—Olivet (French, M. Mitchell); MSU (Marshall, McGriff). Rebounds—Olivet 43 (French 12); MSU 47 (Marshall 10, Tarcin 9). Assists—Olivet 16 (Paxson 5); MSU 6 (Spencer 3). Total Fouls—Olivet 27; MSU 26. Technical—MSU (Gassama, coach). A—4,500.