Even when the Wolfpack (5-24 overall) took a 76-75 lead against Spring Hill with two seconds left in the last game of their season, they sustained a 77-76 heartbreak bigger than anything they’d endured all year.
History sophomore Torry Beaulieu, handling the ball on what should’ve been the last possession of the game, shot a 10-footer and missed. Forward Nick Tusyznski, general business junior, jockeyed himself into position, tipped-in Beaulieu’s miss for the lead and sent the Wolfpack bench into jubilation.
They were two ticks away from another post-season upset.
On the ensuing inbounds pass, however, Spring Hill’s passer fired the ball to Ugo Ezekwe at mid-court. Fumbling the ball and nearly drawing a half-court violation, Ezekwe dribbled toward Loyola’s basket with Loyola guard James Bunn, accounting senior, guarding him closely. As Ezekwe threw up the desperation shot just at the buzzer, the officials whistled Bunn for a defensive foul.
Ezekwe, who led the Badgers with 17 points, went to the foul stripe with no time left, needing to hit just two of the three chances he’d been given.
He hit the first two, knocking the Wolfpack out of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference’s post-season tournament before reaching the quarterfinals.
Said coach Michael Giorlando afterward, “This may have been one of the toughest endings I have ever experienced as a basketball coach. The character of our team, despite the setbacks we had this year, were tremendous to a man. Our whole team played their hearts out.”
Wolfpack guard Luke Zumo, psychology junior, led the game’s scorers with 31 points. He hit four-of-seven three-pointers and made 11 of his 13 free throws.
“Zumo played a great second half,” Giorlando said.
Helping Zumo was Beaulieu, who amassed 13 points, and reserve forward McArthur Strickland, marketing freshman, who added 12.
Under coach Giorlando, the Wolfpack is 1-3 in post-season play. Last year, the Wolfpack upset No. 24 Mobile in the GCAC quarterfinals before succumbing to conference champion LSU-Shreveport in the semifinals.
“It was an extremely difficult end to the game and our season, but I couldn’t be more proud of our guys,” Giorlando said.
Ramon Vargas can be reached at [email protected].
