SWARTHMORE, Pa.—The memorable 2016-17 season, the winningest in Swarthmore College Men's Basketball history, concluded in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday evening at Tarble Pavilion. The No. 25 Garnet battled against the No. 2 Christopher Newport University Captains, but ultimately fell by a final count of 77-67.
Swarthmore (23-6) shot better than CNU (27-2) in all aspects of the box score—from behind the arc, from the field and from the free-throw line—but CNU's big, physical lineup won the rebounding category and that proved to be the difference in the game. Swarthmore, the country's top team in rebounding margin per game, was beaten on the boards Saturday 42-25. The Captains asserted themselves on the offensive glass, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds which led to 27 second-chance points. Swarthmore finished with five offensive rebounds and five second-chance points.
CNU's Marcus Carter recorded a game-high 10 rebounds, four of the offensive variety, and Tim Daly added nine rebounds with five on the offensive end. In the final minute, with Swarthmore attempting to close the gap and fouling to stop the clock, the Captains corralled three offensive rebounds off of missed free throw to secure the victory.
Sophomore Cam Wiley led the Garnet with 22 points, matching CNU's Carter for the game high. Wiley shot 10-for-25 from the floor and dealt out five assists. Zack Yonda and Henry Cousineau each finished with 15 points. Cousineau went a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the 3-point line.
Freshmen Nate Shafer and Zac O'Dell posted three and two blocks, respectively, and Swarthmore finished with eight as a team.
The Garnet led early, holding a five-point advantage five minutes in. However, the Garnet went the next five minutes without a field goal and found themselves playing from behind. The Captains established a 14-point lead by halftime, but the Garnet gave them a run for their money in the second period. Shafer and Wiley combined for a quick 6-0 run that brought Swarthmore within four with 11:13 to play. CNU responded with a 10-2 run to regain a double-digit advantage. Swarthmore would pull within seven points with 28 seconds to go following a Wiley 3-pointer, but couldn't pull any closer.
Swarthmore's 23 wins this season is a new program best and the appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament is the furthest the program has made it into the postseason. The Garnet graduate three seniors, Michael Rubayo, Chris Bourne and Sam Lebryk. Together this senior class has won more games than any other class in Swarthmore Men's Basketball history.
