RAMS' SEASON ENDS IN HEARTBREAK
March 20, 2008

Box Score

KANSAS CITY, MO:  The Texas Wesleyan University men’s basketball team (20-12) suffered a heartbreaking 73-71 loss to 11th seeded McKendree University (27-6) in first round action at the 2008 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship.

The young Rams showed no early-game jitters as Hector Mukweyi slammed down a lob from Evan Randall on the game’s first possession.  Kennith Gober then buried his first two three-point attempts to give Texas Wesleyan an 8-0 lead.

McKendree used some hot shooting to get back into the game.  The Bearcats tied the contest at 10 and led by as many as seven, 29-22, in the half.

Dane Dmitrovic made his presence felt on both ends.  Dmitrovic poured 14 to keep the Rams close, 41-38, at the intermission.

McKendree, one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, built a 70-59 lead with just over three minutes to play, when the Rams came back to life.  A bucket from Dmitrovic cut it to five, 70-65, with 1:17 remaining.  After McKendree hit one of two free throws, Dalane Finley hit a big three to make it a single possession game entering the final minute.

On the ensuing Bearcat possession, Fred Eshon stripped the ball from Andy Wolf.  The Rams got two good looks with contact in the paint, but the shots did not go down.  Eric Palm drained a pair of free throws with eleven seconds to play, and a three from Gober at the buzzer accounted for the 73-71 final score.

“They hit some big shots today,” commented head coach Terry Waldrop, “but we got the ball where we wanted it at the end.  The shots just didn’t go down.  This team showed unbelievable heart to get back in it at the end.”

Dmitrovic finished with 20 points in the contest.  Finley added 17, including 12 second half points.  Gober scored 14 for the Rams.  Palm scored a game-high 29 for the Bearcats.

The Rams season comes to an end with a record of 20-12 and their second National Tournament appearance in three seasons.