“Survive and Advance:” Men’s basketball moves on to Sweet 16 after two dramatic overtime wins

| Staff Writer

WashU basketball celebrates their victory as students rush the court. (Elle Su | Student Life)

With 1.8 seconds remaining in overtime, sophomore guard Yogi Oliff stepped up to the free throw line. He needed to hit one shot to keep the Washington University men’s basketball team’s season alive, and two to deliver a massive win against the Illinois College Blueboys in the second round of the NCAA tournament. 

It didn’t help that this was the Bears’ second straight game in overtime, or that Oliff had logged 29 minutes the night before in a 71-68 overtime victory against Wisconsin Lutheran College and 34 minutes already in this second round thriller. It also didn’t help that, despite all of his strengths, the point guard has been struggling  from the line all season, hitting just above 60% of his attempts. 

“There’s been times this season that I’ve struggled from the line, it’s not a secret,” Oliff said postgame. “But it’s just about staying confident.”

Oliff stayed confident, like the Bears have all year in clutch situations, and sank both shots to give the Bears a 68-67 lead that they would not relinquish. After a failed full-court heave from Illinois College, the rambunctious WashU student section stormed the court as the Bears stamped their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.

Now, the Bears will look forward to playing the Trine University Thunder next weekend, marking the first time WashU has played past the second round since it won the National Championship in 2009. While the Bears also won their first two tournament games in the 2019-20 season, their third round contest, and the remainder of the tournament, were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The whole arena watches as Oliff’s game-winning free throw swishes through the net. (Elle Su | Student Life)

Game One: WashU v. Wisconsin Lutheran College

The Bears tipped off their March Madness journey against the Warriors from Wisconsin Lutheran College, winners of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC). Following a truly wild finish, the Bears were able to hang on against Wisconsin Lutheran 71-68 in overtime to advance to the second round. 

Early on, it looked as if the Bears were on course for a blowout victory, starting the game on a 10-0 run. The Warriors, however, would not let up, keeping the game close every time WashU went on a run. Though the Bears led throughout all of regulation and had built up a 10-point lead with 10 minutes to go, the Warriors fought back. With 11 seconds left in regulation, a Wisconsin Lutheran jumper completed the team’s comeback, forcing an extra period of play to decide the contest.

In overtime, it was the Warriors who seemed to be in control, stopping the Bears on consecutive possessions to secure a three-point lead. With the shot clock winding down and junior guard Hayden Doyle bottled up in the paint, junior guard Kyle Beedon broke loose on the right wing, finding just enough space to loft an off-balance, catch-and-shoot three as the shot clock expired. 

“The last one I hit, it was kind of off balance, but I hit those all the time,” Beedon said in a postgame press conference. “If you practice making tough shots, you’ll feel confident in making them.”

As Beedon’s shot, one of five threes he hit on Friday, swished through the net, the momentum shifted back in WashU’s favor. In the final minute, the Bears locked into high gear, withstanding any momentum change or pressure that might have come from a blown lead. 

First-year guard Emmett Lawton hit a jumper to gain a lead with 46 seconds remaining, and Doyle, who scored his 1000th career point in the victory, sealed the game with four straight free throws to give the Bears their final 71-68 lead.

“I just try to stay pretty levelheaded,” said Doyle, who had missed a shot at the buzzer in regulation, after the game. “It’s onto the next play, it’s onto the next possession, and we did that at a high level tonight.” 

On the final possession, Wisconsin Lutheran advanced the ball down the court, but was unable to get a shot off before the buzzer. Despite the Warriors missing their final shot, the play sparked controversy online due to the fact that the game clock operator started the time one second early. The main story of the game, however, was the fact that the Bears, like they have all season, faced adversity, and yet again, persevered for a win. 

“In the tournament, it’s all about surviving and advancing,” said head coach Pat Juckem. “They don’t ask how, they ask if.”

Oliff excelled in the win, hauling in 16 rebounds to lead all players, contributing to WashU winning the rebound battle 53-42. In a game where the Bears shot only 34.4% from the field, the extra possessions Oliff got for the team were vital. Oliff also added a team-high five assists.

“Yogi has incredible instincts,” said Juckem. “He just has a knack and a feel of where [the ball’s] gonna go.”

Beedon and sophomore center Calvin Kapral led the team with 17 points each, while Kapral also grabbed six rebounds. Alongside first-year center Jake Davis, Kapral held two-time NACC Player of the Year Ryan Broeckel, who averages over 17 points per game, to just seven points in 45 minutes.

Emmett Lawton came up clutch with six points and six rebounds in round one. (Yiwen Zha | Student Life)

Game Two: WashU v. Illinois College

The Bears looked to continue their momentum into the following night versus Illinois College, who had earned its first-ever NCAA tournament victory on a crazy buzzer beater that was featured in Saturday’s “SportsCenter Top 10”.

Unlike the first game, the script was flipped for the Bears as they found themselves down 13 points early in this game. In an all-time classic game that saw 19 lead changes, 11 ties, and an electric atmosphere, the Bears pulled off the comeback, winning 68-67 in overtime.

“This is what it’s all about,” Juckem said after the game. “Just two teams that laid it on the line…I can’t say enough about the resiliency of our team.”

Kapral was a force down low with his size and strength, with several hook shots that would make Kareem Abdul-Jabbar blush, and footwork reminiscent of Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon. He impressed yet again with a dominant performance marked by a team-leading 18 points and 10 rebounds. 

“To be honest, there’s not a lot of guys my size,” said Kapral. “I can dominate inside…it really opens it up for our guards. 

The WashU big men added an unusual wrinkle to their game, as both Kapral, who had never attempted a three-pointer in a college game, and Davis, shot 4-4 combined from beyond the three-point arc. 

“When we said you guys have the license to shoot it…the smile on Calvin’s face was [huge]” said Juckem. “It was just awesome and they shot it without hesitation, and no one in our group was surprised.”

Beedon again came in clutch, with a layup off a missed three-pointer to tie the game in regulation. In overtime, he would hit two threes to give WashU the crucial scoring bump it needed to pull ahead.

Kyle Beedon hit nine three pointers in two games, including this one with 30 seconds left in OT. (Elle Su | Student Life)

Oliff continued to impress on the boards, this time leading all players with 12 rebounds, truly impressive from the guard position. His free throws that  ultimately sealed the game came from another offensive rebound that saved the day for the Bears. 

In an ugly shooting night where WashU only managed to make 32.9% of its shots, the 11 extra field goals taken by the Bears, who won the possession battle, were a key difference-maker.

After Illinois College’s attempt to repeat its late-game magic with just under two seconds on the clock, the large crowd of WashU students stormed the court, celebrating a WashU basketball win like few have ever done before. The Bears will have time to celebrate, but will also need to get ready for a tough matchup against Trine University in the next round. 

The Thunder, who will host the sectional round in Angola, Indiana, went 25-4 in the regular season, but lost in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) conference championship in overtime. They beat Fontbonne University and Coe College in the first two rounds, and will pose a challenge to the Bears’ hopes of moving on.

The Bears team is looking forward to what’s to come, which Juckem succinctly described in just three words:

“Sweet 16, baby.”

 

Ian Heft and Riley Herron contributed reporting to this article.

 

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