#25 Oilers Win Late over #16 USI, Advance in Tourney

#25 Oilers Win Late over #16 USI, Advance in Tourney

Box Score

The University of Findlay men's basketball team, ranked 25th in the nation, won in the final seconds against 16th-ranked Southern Indiana in the opening round of the 2017 NCAA Division II Tournament on March 11 in Louisville, Ky. The victory pushes the Oilers into the semifinals of the Midwest Regional Tournament and gives them a 24-6 record on the year.

The Oilers built a 24-10 lead in the first 15 minutes of the game before the Screaming Eagles closed the period on a 12-0 run. Southern Indiana then took control in the second half, leading by double digits, before the Oilers cut the lead to two at 51-49 with seven minutes to play.

Both teams went back and forth from there and Findlay trailed by one point at 69-68 with only 26 ticks remaining. The Oilers then ran the clock down and found senior forward Tyler Stern-Tucker open underneath for a layup to give Findlay a 70-69 lead. Southern Indiana's long three point attempt at the buzzer was short, giving the Oilers a dramatic NCAA Tournament win.

Junior forward Taren Sullivan had a monster game for Findlay with 24 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Sullivan made 10-of-20 from the field and also added one assist, one steal and one block in the victory. Sullivan also became the Oilers 46th member of the 1,000-point club in the game and now ranks 45th with 1,017 career points.

Stern-Tucker was a force for Findlay with 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals while junior guard Martyce Kimbrough finished with ten points and six assists.

As a team, the Oilers shot 43.1 percent (28-of-65) from the floor and came away with ten steals in the game. Southern Indiana meanwhile hit 39.1 percent (25-of-64) of their shot attempts and held a 44-35 advantage on the boards.

Bobo Drummond came off the bench to score a game-high 31 points for the Screaming Eagles.

The Oilers will now play 14th-ranked Ferris State at 5 p.m. tomorrow in Louisville, Ky. Fans who purchased tickets to the Oilers game against Southern Indiana will have the right to reserve their seat for Sunday's game. Bellarmine will hold the same pass list they did for Saturday's contest. If any additional fans are interested in making the trip, they can purchase tickets at the gate starting at 5 p.m. on Sunday.