(February 23, 2010) Fulton, MO - Principia did exactly what was asked of them in the pre-game talk - and that was to make it a memorable last game for seniors
Sam Douglas,
Isaac Swiderski, and
Stuart Waller. The Panthers went into Fulton, MO tonight facing the conference's regular season champions, Westminster College. The Bluejays of Westminster, 12-3 in conference play and 17-7 overall had not lost a game at home all season. Prin challenged that undefeated home record until the end with a highly energized 111-105 loss.
It was a season high in scoring for both teams.
Douglas helped his own cause in making it a memorable last game by scoring a career high 33 points and falling just 3 points shy of scoring 1000 points in his college career by missing his last 3-point attempt at the buzzer. The senior finished the year hitting the most 3 pointers in the conference this season. Douglas' childhood friend from Nashville, TN, junior
Todd Zimmerman also made sure it was a memorable night for his fellow seniors by scoring 24 points, dishing out 11 assists and grabbing 7 rebounds. Zimmerman who has been on a scoring binge of late, 29, 31, 27 and 24 points in his last four games, finished the season as the conference's leading assist man with more than 6 per game.
Waller who was held scoreless in the first half found his touch with 16 second-half points connecting on 3 of 5 shots from beyond the arc. Waller also finished as one of the conference's top 3-point shooters. As a team, Principia lead the league in 3-point field goals made and 3-point field goal percentage.
Prin dished out 17 assists and only committed 10 turnovers. Prin only turned the ball over 17 times in their final two games.
Westminster went into intermission with a 50-47 lead. Both teams were shooting better than 50% but the hot shooting for both teams did not stop there. Prin shot 64% in the second half - finishing the game with a 57.5% accuracy rate from the field. As Westminster coach, Matt Mitchell said after the game, "it was like an NBA game, you just had to keep scoring because you knew Principia would just hit at the other end."
The difference maker was at the free throw line. Westminster made went to the line 41 times and made twice as many freethrows as Prin with 28. Principia was 14-16 from the line.
All five starters finished in double figures,
Stanley Beal added 12 points on 6 of 7 shooting and pulled down 6 rebounds and
Colin Angle contributed 14 points and 4 assists.
Westminster finishes the regular season with a 13-3 conference record and 18-7 overall record. As regular season conference champs they will host the SLIAC playoffs beginning Thursday night facing Webster University, the 4th seed. The other two teams in post season play are Eureka and MacMurray. The conference championship game will be played Saturday afternoon. Principia ends the season with a 3-13 conference record, two of those victories came against basketball powerhouse Fontbonne making it the first time Principia has swept Fontbonne in a single season since joining the SLIAC in 1990. The Panther finished with an overall record of 6-19. Last year Prin did not win a single conference game and only won one game overall.
