NDSCS loses district championship, 75-73, in controversial OT thriller
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A thrilling comeback and a heart-wrenching defeat. Thats how North Dakota State College of Science finished a memorable 29-4 season, falling short in the North Central District Championship in a 75-73 overtime loss to Southeastern Community College (25-8) on Saturday, March 11 in Wahpeton. Momentum swayed throughout, as the game experienced 10 ties and seven lead changes.
Agwa Nywesh gave NDSCS a 64-62 lead with a layup at the shot clock buzzer and less than one minute remaining in regulation. The sophomore snatched the inbound pass away from a Southeastern defender and scored in traffic directly underneath the hoop.
Southeastern gave themselves a chance to tie at the foul line with 3.5 seconds left. The Blackhawks missed the front end, leaving them with one choice intentionally miss the second shot and hope for a putback. Deng Deang, who already had two dunks earlier in the game, came flying in from the backcourt for a rebound and laid it in to send the game into overtime.
Deang crossed the 3-point line before the free throw hit the rim, but was not whistled for a violation.
The Wildcats overtime loss can be blamed on a combination of factors a technical foul, missed free throws, poor closeouts but no singular moment. Its worth noting, however, that an obvious goaltending violation was not called in the overtime period. NDSCS trailed by five when Deang swatted a layup that already hit the backboard. The arena erupted along with the Wildcats bench, but the officiating crew never huddled to discuss the infraction and no basket was awarded.
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Micah Swallow (3) followed up his 29-point outing in the Region XIII finals with 20 points in Saturday's district championship.
Robert Wanek Jr. Daily News
Making matters worse, Micah Swallow appeared to get fouled on his OT buzzer-beater attempt when he was slapped by Jhonny Tovar Mendez on the left arm. The pleadings of NDSCS players fell on deaf ears, as Southeastern celebrated a hard-fought win behind Davion Baileys 25 points and 8 rebounds. Jaylen Searles (15 points) and Jack Wetzel (12 points) joined Bailey in double figures.
NDSCS showed resilience in erasing a 37-28 halftime deficit and overcoming a 17-0 run. The sophomore leadership of Breckenridges own Noah Christensen was a big part of the comeback. The 6-foot-10 center closed with 9 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a game-high 4 blocks.
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Robert Wanek Jr. Daily News
When the Wildcats needed a boost, Christensen rejected a shot and chased after the basketball, diving over the Blackhawks bench and saving the ball to Devin Newsome, who raced down the floor to tie the game at 55-55. Newsome would later sink a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds left in OT to keep the game alive.
Swallow paced NDSCS with 20 points and 5 rebounds. Peyton Newbern posted 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Newbern tied the game with a fadeaway jumper at the shot clock horn, before finding Swallow in the corner for a three that gave NDSCS a 60-57 lead with 3:50 left in the second half.
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Robert Wanek Jr. Daily News
Detavius Frierson fouled out at the end of regulation with 11 points and 5 rebounds. He connected on 4-of-5 shots and took a charge defensively. The NDSCS freshman was key in calming his teammates after Southeastern built a double-digit lead. Frierson rolled his ankle late in the second half and remained on the floor for an extended period before popping up and staying in the game to help force overtime.
In the end, the Wildcats couldnt overcome streaky shooting, making 10-of-16 at the charity stripe and 9-of-31 from 3-point range. Southeastern made 23-of-34 free throws and 10-of-18 triples to advance to the NJCAA DI National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
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Robert Wanek Jr.
Sports Reporter
Robert has spent over a decade reporting Twin Towns Area athletics, coaching baseball and officiatingsporting events. From MMA to golf, he covers the entire sports spectrum through stories,photos and videos. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2021 by the North Dakota Newspaper Association.
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Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 3:30 am