UC Santa Cruz Athletics
11-15
Pine Manor
5-21
Gators Squeak By Banana Slugs in ACAA Semifinal 60-58
2/29/2020 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DELHI, NY (2-29) –In their first-ever game in New York State, UC Santa Cruz took on Pine Manor in the second semifinal of the American Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Basketball Championship. The Gators defeated the Banana Slugs 60-58.
In the first half, the two teams would trade the lead, for the first four minutes. The Gators would gain their largest lead of the ballgame at four, at 12-8, on a Jalen Williams jumper with 15:31 left in the half. The Banana Slugs would get back into the contest using a 6-0 run, capped by a Rashard Thornhill three pointer with 13:25 left in the half, to take the lead at 14-12. The Gators would respond with a 5-0 spurt, capped by a Williams layup, to gain the lead at 17-14 with 12:02 left in the half. The two teams would trade baskets for the remainder of the half. The Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead of the half on a Patrick Ramos layup with four seconds left in the half and led 31-27 at halftime.
In the second half, the Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead of the ballgame, at 46-38, on a Haakon Ullrich jumper with 12:05 left. The Gators responded with an 11-3 run, capped by a Brandon Hurst three pointer with 8:34 left, to tie the game at 49-49. The Banana Slugs would regain the lead again and would expand their lead to four, at 53-49, on a Patrick Ramos layup with 7:10 left. The Gators would go on a 5-0 spurt to take the lead at 54-53 with 5:28 left. The two teams would trade baskets back and forth for the next three minutes of clock time. With 2:32 left, Houston would make a free throw to give the Gators the lead for good at 57-56. After the Gators pushed their lead to four, Eric Siegel made a jumper to trim the Gators' lead to two, at 60-58, with four seconds left. After the Gators missed a pair of free throws, the Banana Slugs had one final chance for the win but the final shot was missed.
Treyson Keating and Ullrich each had twelve points to lead the Banana Slugs. Thornhill had eleven.
Williams had a game high twenty two for the Gators.
Pine Manor outrebounded UC Santa Cruz 45-42 while the Banana Slugs had sixteen more points off the bench (25-9) than did the Gators.
