The Observer, January 27, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 14
Spartans ruin Pittsburgh's perfect sports weekend
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Before Pittsburgh sports fans were in euphoria after the Steelers' win in Sunday's AFC Championship Game, they were in dire despair. At least the student body of Carnegie Mellon was, as Case's men's basketball team upset the 11th-ranked Tartans, 72-69, before a standing-room only crowd in Skibo Gymnasium.
The win was arguably the biggest of the season for the Spartans, since Carnegie Mellon is regarded by many as the finest team in the UAA. Furthermore, the Spartans suffered two frustrating losses at home the previous weekend. A stellar start to the season in non-conference play was beginning to look as though it would be wasted.
However, a solid overall game by the Spartans put any notion of that sort to rest. After falling behind early in two previous losses, the Spartans jumped out to an early lead and maintained it throughout the first half. Matt Cannan led the way early, scoring 10 of his 14 points in the first half, and Carson Oren and Funso Lafe each scored eight while Case was clinging to a 35-33 lead going into the locker room.
The momentum shifted at the start of the second half, as the Tartans went on a 16-6 run to take an eight-point lead. With eight minutes remaining, the Spartans had trimmed the deficit by only one point. Trailing the highest ranked team in the UAA on the road, the gap began to seem insurmountable. The Spartans, though, as they have done during the entire season, showed resilience, making a 9-2 run of their own to tie the game at 64 with two minutes remaining.
The Spartans then pulled away thanks to clutch shooting by Lafe and Rich Mullen. Mullen's only points of the game came on a three-pointer with just under a minute to play, and they could not have come at a better time, as it gave the Spartans a two-possession lead. Lafe later sank two free throws to give Case a 72-69 lead with 13 seconds left, and Marques Johnson missed a game-tying three-pointer for the Tartans. The Spartans escaped with the victory and left the Carnegie Mellon faithful stunned.
The win was a much-needed boost of energy and confidence for the Spartans.
"After dropping the previous two games at home, we went into [last] weekend a lot more focused," said junior Cannan. "It was one of those situations where we had to win in order to stay alive in the conference."
Perhaps the biggest factor in the team's improved performance was simply the ability to make a higher percentage of field goal attempts.
"Against Chicago and Washington, it was just one of those things where we ran into some bad bounces and good defense by the other team," said coach Sean McDonnell, referring to his team's struggles offensively the previous weekend. "Against Carnegie Mellon, we had a lot of good looks, and we made more than we missed."
Also, even though the Tartans came into the game as the best team in the league, the Spartans matched up well with them.
"They weren't much bigger than us," said Cannan. "We were able to pound down low and take advantage of our athleticism in the post."
Case looked to continue its winning ways the following Sunday against Rochester in New York. The Yellowjackets posed yet another difficult challenge for the Spartans, who entered the game with an 11-4 overall record. Case battled them basket for basket, but lost in another close game, 53-50. The Spartans have now played in eight games decided by seven points or less and are 4-4 in those game. Oren and Lafe led the Spartans with 11 points each.
The Spartans are on the road again this week. They will play Brandeis tonight in Boston at 7 p.m., before traveling to the Big Apple to face New York University on Sunday afternoon.
