Staff Writer- Alayna Boe
Gustavus Men’s basketball Ranked No. 7, continued their NCAA tournament run on Saturday, March 14th. They played the University of Chicago Maroons in the Sweet 16 of the tournament, but fell short by one point. This matchup was between the 6th and 7th seeds, so it was going to be close. UChicago reigned victorious with a 93-92 final score. Reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003, the men’s team put up a good fight and ended their season with an overall record of 27-3.
Starting off the game strong, the Gusties quickly went up 12-2 in the first four minutes. This lead was a common denominator in the first half, and the Gusties led 34-20 with six minutes to go in the half. After this run, the Gusties’ defense stumbled a little, and the Maroons went on a run of 15-2. Still, the Gusties led 40-39 at halftime.
The Gusties tried to carry this small lead into the second half, but fell short quickly into the second half. UChicago came out strong and gained the lead early on.
With a scoring percentage of 57.7%, UChicago was beating the Gusties in that respect, and it would end up catching up with the Golden Gusties. Later in the second half, the Maroons went on a 17-6 run and took a 12-point lead over Gustavus. This led to them leading 73-61 with 9:29 left on the clock.
UChicago kept the lead, but the Gusties were making their way back into this Sweet 16 matchup. Trailing 91-90 with 1:18 left in the game, Gustavus was trying to turn their energy and grit back on, but UChicago kept pushing and made two free throws. This made the score 93-92 with 46 seconds left on the clock.
A UChicago turnover was returned by the Gusties, but the long shot three missed the basket, and the rebound was not taken due to the clock running out. The Maroons had 15 turnovers in this game, so the chances to get extra points were there, but the Gusties could not fully capitalize on that fact. Gustavus kept their turnovers to five and played good defense.
This high-scoring game was competitive due to the fact that Junior Myles Barnette dropped 40 points. He went 16-for-21 in his shooting and had seven rebounds and four assists. This was crucial to the Gusties’ success and fight in this close game against UChicago. Barnette led the scoring by a lot, with Sophomore Andrew Quam following with 14 points and going 6-for-12 in shooting.
In the game, the Maroons’ free-throw percentage was 90% while the Gusties’ was 81.3%. This small margin of difference is important in a one-point game like this one. Every shot mattered, but sometimes it just did not reach the white netting. The Gusties trailed in 3-point shooting as well, but still made this game as close as it could be.
In a short post-game interview, coach DeGrood stated that it was “hard to find a better game in the country,” that night.
That is a small way of highlighting how back and forth and hard-fought this game was for both of the teams. Everyone wants to win, but in the end, that is not the most important part. Senior Eli Wolff said it best in the postgame interview. “It’s not always about the basketball games, but it’s just more opportunity and time spent with each other.”
This mindset is what makes a great team, and the Men’s Basketball certainly showed that this season. Becoming back-to-back MIAC champions and making it to the Sweet 16 of the tournament are not small feats, so clearly their mindset and team atmosphere are working. Balance is key, and this team found that within their roadtrip fun and their work on the court.
Closing out their year 27-3 and a MIAC record of 15-1, the Gusties shone. This game against UChicago was a testament to their grit and ability to keep going even when a run is happening, and the scoreboard is not in their favor. The Maroons outplayed the Gusties stats-wise, but the Gusties kept it close and kept shooting their shots.
For the first time in over 20 years, the Gusties made it to the Sweet 16. This game showed how the program has grown and developed over the years. This program is on the up and next year will prove that to be true. Gusties will keep working in the off-season and come back stronger than ever. Looking for the 3-peat and going even deeper in the tournament will be the main goals for next year’s squad.