ORLANDO, Fla. – The Barry University men’s basketball team (0-3, 0-0 SSC) concluded play at the Disney’s Tip-Off on Sunday afternoon at Disney’s Wide World of Sports with a heart-breaking 53-46 loss to the Grand Valley State University Lakers.
Despite their loss, the Bucs played an outstanding game against the Lakers. In an exhibition match against #8 Michigan State last week, the Lakers upset the Spartans 85-82 in double overtime. Coming into this final game at the Tip-Off Classic, the Lakers were shooting 55 percent from the field and averaged 79.5 points in the previous two games of the tournament.
The first half proved to be the best of the three games for the Buccaneers as they held the Lakers to a 32.3 percent field goal percentage against Barry’s 37.5 percentage.
With :27 seconds left on the clock, Karega Tucker nailed a trey to close out the half with the Bucs trailing 26-22. This four-point deficit was an incredible milestone for the Bucs, considering that in both previous games in the tournament, the Bucs were sent into the locker room down 10 points.
Freshmen Willie Whitfield collected nine rebounds and six points in the first period alone and finished with 14 and eight, respectively, just two points shy of his first career double-double. Whitfield also collected 33 rebounds and 20 points throughout the three-day tournament.
The Bucs came out of the locker room a bit slower than they had started out in the first half, but battled back from a nine-point deficit with eight minutes remaining in the game.
Barry’s Bryan Chiverton was able to tie the score twice during the game. At the 16:40 mark, Chiverton’s lay up tied the game at 29, and with four minutes remaining in the game, he was able to drop a three-pointer to tie the game up once more, 41-41.
Barry intentionally fouled Grand Valley twice in the final minute in order to stop the clock. Sadly for the Bucs, both shooters for the Lakers drained all four shots to finalize the game, 53-46.
Tucker was the Bucs’ leading scorer throughout the tournament collecting 12 points against the Lakers today and 39 collectively for the tournament.
The Bucs will return to Miami Shores for their first home game at the Health & Sports Center on Monday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 pm against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.
Newspaper Box Score
Barry vs Grand Valley State
11/11/07 2:55 p.m. at Disney's Wide World of Sports
At Disney's Wide World of Sports
GRAND VALLEY STATE 53, BARRY 46
BARRY (0-3)
TUCKER, Karega 5-13 0-0 12; CHIVERTON, Bryan 2-5 5-6 9; LAZO, Gabe 3-7 0-0
9; WHITFIELD, Willie 4-10 0-0 8; BISHOP, Chad 2-8 0-0 4; WILLIS, Jeff 1-2
0-0 2; LEIBOICH, Martin 1-5 0-0 2; MADYUM, Jamaal 0-1 0-0 0; ASTIGARRAGA,
Bryan 0-0 0-0 0; UZ, Chris 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 18-53 5-6 46.
GRAND VALLEY STATE (3-0)
JAMERSON, Jason 7-14 2-2 22; EZIUKWU, Callistus 4-10 2-4 10; TRAMMELL, Pete
4-11 0-0 10; KILGORE, L. J. 2-4 2-2 7; BROWN, Toreau 1-2 0-0 2; THOMPSON,
David 1-2 0-0 2; STORRS, Alvin 0-3 0-0 0; PRZYDZIAL, Mike 0-0 0-0 0; FREER,
Nick 0-2 0-0 0; RINGLER, Justin 0-2 0-0 0; TIERNAN, Bobby 0-2 0-1 0. Totals
19-52 6-9 53.
Barry......................... 22 24 - 46
Grand Valley State............ 26 27 - 53
3-point goals--Barry 5-19 (LAZO, Gabe 3-6; TUCKER, Karega 2-5; BISHOP, Chad
0-6; UZ, Chris 0-1; CHIVERTON, Bryan 0-1), Grand Valley State 9-17
(JAMERSON, Jason 6-10; TRAMMELL, Pete 2-4; KILGORE, L. J. 1-2; THOMPSON,
David 0-1). Fouled out--Barry-None, Grand Valley State-None. Rebounds--Barry
34 (WHITFIELD, Willie 14), Grand Valley State 32 (EZIUKWU, Callistus 9).
Assists--Barry 4 (CHIVERTON, Bryan 2), Grand Valley State 13 (FREER, Nick
4). Total fouls--Barry 13, Grand Valley State 12. Technical
fouls--Barry-None, Grand Valley State-None. A-210
Disney's Division II Tip-Off Classic