GENEVA, N.Y. - Junior forward Brian Scordato scored a career-high 34 points, including three-quarter court shot that was estimated at 62 feet at the halftime buzzer, to lead Union to an 88-84 victory over Hamilton in the championship game of the Liberty League Tournament. The Dutchmen earned the circuit's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, which begins next week. Union, which is now 16-11, came into the event as the No. 4 seed,
Seedings and pairings for the NCAA's will be announced on Sunday.
While it was Scordato's three-quarter shot that went in at the halftime buzzer that sparked a halftime celebration by the Dutchmen, it was his two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining that gave the Garnet a four-point lead that iced the win.
"I always tell the kids that they (points) are all important," said eighth-year head coach Bob Montana, who has led the Dutchmen to seven consecutive winning seasons, six postseason invitations, two league championships and an overall record of 136-106. "It doesn't matter if they are scored in the beginning of the game, at the end of the game, or in the middle, they all count."
The Dutchmen, who are headed to the "Big Dance" for the third time in the history of the program, advanced to the second round after winning the both the regular-season and tournament championships in 2001-02. The following year Union finished second in what was then the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, losing 74-70 at top-seeded Hamilton after leading by 12 at the half. Bill Scanlon guided the Dutchmen to their first NCAA appearance in 1982-83 (Montana's first year as Union's assistant coach) where Union finished third in the East Region.
Scordato, who had 14 points in the opening period in the Dutchmen's 77-74 semi-final win over top-seeded Hobart on Friday night, a game in which the Dutchmen shot 51.6% en route to a 42-35 halftime lead including 56.3% from three-point range (14-of-30)scored 19 points with four rebounds and two assists to give the Dutchmen a 43-36 halftime lead. His incredible shot, which hit the top of the box over the rim and dropped in just catching the inside front of the rim came immediately after Tsankani Ngobeni's layup with two seconds showing had brought the Continentals to within 40-36.
"I've never made a shot like that ever, not even in practice," said Scordato. "As soon as I let it go it felt pretty good. As it turned out, it was a good thing it went in."
Good thing indeed as Hamilton, which trailed by 22 points, 70-48, with 8:04 left, held the Dutchmen to just one three-point field goal over the final 4:26. While the Continentals strategy was to send Union to the line, the Dutchmen responded by connecting on 11 of their 15 charity shots down the stretch. Still, Hamilton was able to get its offense untracked, thanks to its pressure defense, and pulled to within two, 86-84, as guard Tim Welchons scored two of his game-high 38 points on a driving layup. Sophomore guard Joe Mackey was creamed on the Dutchmen's inbounds pass with no foul being called before Hamilton's Staunton Peck went to the line after his field goal attempt failed. Peck missed both shots with 4.9 seconds left and Scordato was immediately fouled as he took the inbounds pass from junior point guard Chris Murphy.
"I was praying I'd make one of the two so that the worse that could happen is that we would go to overtime," explained Scordato about his thought process as he approached the line. "After I made the first one I was playing with house money and the second was easy."
This was the rubber match between the two rivals with each team winning on its own court this year. Hamilton, which came into the event at the No. 3 seed and defeated Skidmore, 76-75, in its Friday night semi-final showdown, won 68-66 while Union captured a 73-68 victory at the Viniar Athletic Center.
The 15-11 Continentals showed visible effects of Scordato's final shot of the first half as they allowed the Dutchmen to score 11 of the first 13 points to start the second half. Cagianello opened the second 20 minutes by burying back-to-back three-point field goals, junior point guard Chris Murphy went coast-to-coast after coming up with a steal, Scordato sank one of two free throws after coming up with a theft and another Scordato steal set up Mackey's jumper to give Union a 54-38 lead with 13:41 left.
Senior guard T.J. Ramey's two free throws with 8:04 showing gave the Dutchmen their biggest lead of the game, 70-48, setting up Hamilton's rally, which fell short.
The opening half saw Hamilton guard Tim Welchons counter Scordato's efforts as he led all scorers with 22 points. Welchons, who opened the game with a three-point field goal and at one time buried three consecutive tres, was eight-of-11 from the field including a five-for-seven from three-point range.
But the first half belonged to Scordato as he hit on seven of his eight field goals attempts including a four-of-five effort from outside the arch. His initial three-pointer tied the game at 3-3, his basket off an offensive rebound tied the game at 5-5, his assist on junior guard John Cagianello's three-pointer gave the Dutchmen a 14-7 lead, his layup with 11:49 showing made it 22-14, his back-to-back three pointers gave Union a 28-18 advantage with 8:05 left, his layup with 2:31 showing made it 33-30, his assist on junior point guard Chris Murphy's tres gave the Dutchmen a 40-34 lead with 18 seconds left and his 62-foot shot at the buzzer broke the Continentals back.
The opening half saw the Dutchmen shoot 55.2% from the field (16-of-29) including a nine-of-15 effort from three-point range (60.0%). Cagianello contributed 13 points on a five-of-eight effort that saw him bury three of his four three-point attempts.
