Men's Basketball | 3/6/2009 7:38:23 PM
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CHESTER, PA -- The RIT men's basketball team was defeated by Salem State 83 -71 in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Division III Tournament on the campus of Widener University. It was the first appearance for RIT in the NCAA Tournament since the 1999-2000 season and the seventh overall. The Tigers, winners of the Empire 8 tournament, finish the season with a 19-9 record.
RIT was 3-of-6 early in the first half thanks in part to a pair of three-pointers by
Shawn Roe (Corning, NY/Corning East) (Corning, NY/Corning East). The Vikings hit five of their first six baskets.
With 12:19 remaining in the half, RIT's #
Mark Carson (Voorheesville, NY/Voorheesville)# (Voorheesville, NY) picked up his second foul of the half. He left the game with RIT trailing 18-13.
#Brendan Harder (Oneonta, NY)# came in and provided a spark for the Tigers, scoring five straight points, including an old fashioned three-point play which gave the Tigers a 22-21 lead.
RIT shot 43.3% from the floor in the first half on 13-of-30 shooting. The Tigers made four three pointers and went 3-for-4 from the foul line but trailed 34-33 at the break.
Scott Young (Almond, NY/Hornell) (Almond, NY/Hornell) paced the Tigers with 10 first half points.
Shawn Roe (Corning, NY/Corning East) chipped in eight points and
Brendan Harder (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) scored seven points off the bench. #
Nate Korinchak (Strongsville, OH/Strongsville)# (Strongsville, OH) had six points. Carson finished with two points and five rebounds.
RIT came out hot early in the second half opening with a quick 8-2 run. RIT took a 40-36 lead on a layup by Carson, their biggest of the game. After the Vikings made a basket to make it a two-point game, Carson hit another layup with 16:16 to play giving the Tigers a 42-38 lead, matching their biggest lead of the half.
The Tigers went scoreless over the next four plus minutes, falling down by eight points on a layup by Dylan Homes with 14:04 to play.
RIT was out scored 30-16 over the next 11:49, leading by as many as thirteen points in the second half.
Shawn Roe (Corning, NY/Corning East) led RIT with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor including four three pointers.
Nate Korinchak (Strongsville, OH/Strongsville) chipped in 13 points and
Mark Carson (Voorheesville, NY/Voorheesville) finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Scott Young (Almond, NY/Hornell) finished with 12 points, but only two in the second half.
RIT shot 47.5% from the floor on 28-of-59 shooting for the game but committed 20 turnovers. RIT was 8-of-11 from the foul line and 7-of-16 from behind the arc. The Tigers were out rebounded by the Vikings 40-32.
Salem State will face the winner between Widener and Virginia Wesleyan College on Saturday evening at 7 pm.
