March 5, 2008
CMU tops Grove City in ECAC Tournament
PITTSBURGH -- The Grove City College men's basketball team wrapped up the 2007-08 season Wednesday night with a 72-61 setback against second-seeded Carnegie Mellon (17-9) in the quarterfinal round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Southern Championship Tournament at Skibo Gymnasium. Grove City, the tournament's No. 7 seed, finishes the season with a 17-11 record.
Grove City trailed 37-23 at halftime but stormed back to take a 43-41 lead by virtue of a 20-4 run. Sophomore center Andy O'Keefe (Perry, Ohio/Perry) ignited the run with a three-point play while senior guard Shawn Carr (New Castle, Pa./Mohawk) fired in a three-pointer moments later.
After a three from senior guard Joe Capotosta (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) cut CMU's lead to single digits, junior Ryan Gibson (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) recorded a three-point play. Carr then gave Grove City a short-lived 43-41 lead with 14:43 left by hitting a three-pointer.
Carnegie Mellon countered with a 9-0 spurt of its own to take the lead for good. The Wolverines closed to within 64-57 on a three-point play by senior guard Ryan Gerber (Baltic, Ohio/Garaway) with 2:44 remaining. However, Grove City could draw no closer down the stretch.
Carr led Grove City with 17 points while O'Keefe added 14. Gerber poured in 11 points and added a team-high four steals. Senior forward Bobby Turner (New Castle, Pa./Laurel) pulled in a team-leading seven rebounds. Gibson had five assists. Grove City committed 11 turnovers, including just four in the second half.
Ryan Einwag led Carnegie Mellon with 21 points. Geoff Kozak fired in 15 points while center Greg Gonzalez recorded a 13-point, 19-rebound double-double. CMU out-rebounded Grove City, 55-30.
Grove City made 22 of 62 (36 percent) shots from the field while CMU shot 26 of 63 (41 percent). CMU committed 16 turnovers.
Wednesday's game is the final game at Grove City for Capotosta, Carr, Gerber and Turner. Grove City's 17 victories this season are the most for a Grove City men's basketball team since the 2002-03 team went 18-9.
GROVE CITY'S 1,000-POINT CLUB
1-Jeff Claypool (1965-69)
2,234
2-Bob Crow (1979-83) 1,450
3-Joe Buckley (1985-89) 1,413
4-John Cochran (1966-70) 1,352
5-Tanner Prosser (1999-2003) 1,263
6-Mark Timko (1991-94) 1,255
7-Fred Schwab (1970-74) 1,215
8-Deron Ryan (1984-88) 1,205
9-Tim Mokma (1987-91) 1,197
10-Bill Fox (1975-79) 1,192
11-Tom Robinson (1957-62) 1,181
12-Mark Smith (1979-83) 1,171
13-Jim Wherley (1993-97) 1,162
14-Bart Niemeyer (1958-62) 1,145
15-SHAWN CARR (2004-present) 1,121
16-Benjamin Davis (1990-94) 1,094
17-Dave Marovich (1962-65) 1,072
18-Ron Arrington (1962-66) 1,069
19-Ryan Eller (2001-05) 1,068
20-Mike Donahoe (1975-79) 1,051
21-Dan Von Handorf (1992-96) 1,029
22-Dutch Leonard (1955-59) 1,013
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