Heartbreak Ending to Season

Heartbreak Ending to Season

Mar. 11, 2019, Sterling, Colo. — Post-season basketball is a funny thing; it can bring out the best in teams when they need to shine. A team is never considered out until the final buzzer sounds. That was exactly the case for the Plainsmen basketball team at the Region IX tournament as they faced the Sheridan College Generals. 

The game began with the Plainsmen taking the 9-3 lead within the first two minutes of the game. As the game progressed, Sheridan went on a 20-4 run to take the 10-point lead with 11 minutes to go in the first half. The Generals took a slightly bigger lead before the Plainsmen made a run at the end of the half to cut their lead down 41-32. 

The second half is when the Plainsmen thrived. Northeastern began the half with a 10-2 run to bring them within one point to the Generals. Just under 15 minutes, Ryan Bagley made a three-pointer to put the Plainsmen up by one, 48-47. From that point on, the game was back and forth with the lead exchanging hands every other possession. With 1:34 remaining in the game, Terae Johnson made a jumper to put the Plainsmen up by two. Head Coach Eddie Trenkle called a timeout after a foul to try to freeze the shooter and allow the Plainsmen to establish a plan to win the game. Missed free throws by both teams kept the score the same with Northeastern ahead 72-70. 

With 20 second to go in the game, the Generals forced the Plainsmen to foul on a jump shot. On the ensuing free throws, the Generals made the first and missed the second, but got the offensive rebound. The Generals drew Northeastern into an and-one foul, which gave Sheridan the 74-72 lead. The Plainsmen took a final timeout with 12 seconds remaining in the half. The play they drew up worked perfectly giving Ryan Bagley the final shot to win the game with an open three-point attempt. The ball rattled around the rim, but bounced out. Northeastern's Cinderella story ended as they lost to Sheridan 74-72. 

Ryan Bagley and Terae Johnson led the team as they each scored 20 points. Mohamed Diallo also had a good night by scoring 12 points with seven rebounds.