Some of the best Hollywood screen writers have scripted basketball stories like this before, but the thought of a Hoosiers or Glory Road ending was the furthest thing from anyone's mind as the Golden Eagles faced a team that they manhandled by 20 points just two weeks ago.
It was senior night however, filled with lots of emotion and that guy, Gunnar Tharp, the lone veteran who possesses some sort of step-in-the-gym-and-I'm-in-range shooting confidence.
The Golden Eagles set the stage for dramatics almost perfectly as they outlasted Akron Wayne 74-72 on a Tharp 3-ball from the left corner with a 7.4 seconds left to play.
The winners sprinted out to a 17-4 lead early in the game on an 11-0 run, only to fritter away their advantage and need some late first half heroics to right themselves. When the Warriors closed to within 24-21, the Eagles got an emphatic dunk from Andre Leavell on an inbounds pass from the aforementioned Tharp under their own basket to steal back the momentum.
With 2:12 left in the half, Tharp connected on his second of back-to-back triples and Leavell followed his own missed 3-pointer with a rebound put back to widen the lead to 34-23. And it seemed like the Navy and Gold would have their way. UAW scored the final two baskets of the stanza, but the Eagles led 34-27 at the break on the strength of Leavell's 17 first half points.
In the final 20 minutes, the Eagles made several runs and took leads of 10 points at 48-38 and 50-40. The pesky Warriors fended off the onslaught and fought back to within five points (52-47) with 11:26 to play, but KSU Tusc spurted to a 59-47 lead thanks to a RaShawn Robinson 15-foot jumper, a Leavell ESPN SportsCenter highlight dunk over an Akron Wayne big after a Robinson steal and a Malik Campbell fast break layup and foul shot.
But Akron Wayne had seen enough of KSU's scoring tirade and tied the game at 59-59 scoring 12 straight points. It was the closest they had been since 2-2 at the outset of the game. A free throw gave them a 60-59 lead with 5:48 to play and it seemed like the air had been depleted from Founders Hall Gym.
A Tharp free throw tied the game 60-60 and after Wayne took the lead again at 62-60, Braden Rostad buried a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the Eagles on top again 63-62 at the 4:17 mark. The two teams traded two-point baskets until the Warriors hit a three of their own to reclaim the lead at 67-65 with 3:08 left.
The Eagles worked over the glass on their next possession, getting two offensive rebounds finished off by a stick back from Jacob Hicks to knot the game again (67-67) with 2:14 showing. A free throw swung the lead back to the visitors, before Campbell slashed to the hoop from the left wing to lift the Eagles on top 69-68 with 1:52 to play. Seconds later, Leavell drove to the hoop and made a tear drop over two Warriors for a 71-68 lead and it seemed like all would be right with the world. However, a basket by UAW made it 71-70, but with the shot clock off and just :21 left in regulation it seemed like KSU had the upper hand again.
Tharp had the ball at the top of the key and got bumped off his line by two Warrior defenders and was sent sprawling backward. A Wayne player scooped up the loose ball and headed for a layup, but was fouled on the drive setting up two foul shots that were converted for a 72-71 lead with 16.2 ticks left on the clock staging the scene for a dramatic finish.
Working his way through full-court pressure defense up the right sideline to the home bench, Leavell fired a cross-court pass to a wide open Rostad on the left wing but Warrior defenders closed in on him too fast to get a shot off. Rostad snapped the ball to Tharp in the deep left corner and the Warriors flew to the ball. With hands in his face, Tharp rose from the floor for a shot at redemption and banged in a 3-point shot with 7.4 seconds left and a 74-72 lead as the crowd erupted.
After a Warrior timeout, the Golden Eagles blanketed the court with a trapping defense that slowed UAW's advance. They still managed to get off a double-clutched 24-foot shot from the left wing that bounced on the rim for an eternity, before falling off as the buzzer sounded to preserve a KSU Tusc victory.
Tharp was mobbed by his teammates, family and fans.
He immediately burst into tears letting go all the tension that had built up over his final home game in the Golden Eagles uniform. He got an emotional hug from Warrior Coach Dave Dierksen, his former coach. Tharp's shot had to be bittersweet for them both, but they left the floor with mutual admiration for one another.
Leavell recorded his fourth double-double in the last two weeks scoring 29 points and clearing 14 rebounds. Tharp scored 13 points on 4-9 3-point shooting, Campbell added 12 points and Rostad had 10 to go along with seven rebounds and five assists—-none bigger than his pass to Tharp for the winning bucket---which both will remember forever.
With the win, the Golden Eagles stand 16-11 on the season with one game left. They travel to Bluefield, WV on Saturday to face NCAA D-II and USCAA D-1, No. 5 Bluefield State College.
Gunnar Tharp made this game winning shot with 7.4 seconds left against UAW.
Braden Rostad drives for two of his 10 points against the Warriors.
Malik Campbell challenges a UAW big in the lane for two of his 12 points.
Andre Leavell scored 29 points and hauled in 14 rebounds. (Photos by Jason Keller)