Bismarck State downs Henry Ford 95-89
March 19, 2009
Danville, IL- Game 5 of the NJCAA DII Men's Basketball National Tournament was the first consolation game of the tournament, which featured Henry Ford Community College vs. Bismarck State College. Henry Ford lost their first round match-up to Monroe Community College. Bismarck State dropped their 1st round match-up to Delaware Technical & Community College.
Henry Ford was able to jump out to a 6-0 lead within the first minute of play, but Bismarck State responded with their own 8-0 run to take the 8-6 lead. For the next several minutes, defense was the factor for both teams as they struggled to put points on the board. Bismarck State sat in a zone which initially disrupted the flow of Henry Ford's offense, but they eventually caught fire from beyond the arc. Led by Henry Ford's Willie Mustin, they sparked a 15-0 run with 5 minutes remaining in the half to capture a 36-22 lead. Bismarck State answered with their own mini run that closed the lead to 4 points within the next few minutes. Within the closing minute of the half, Bismarck State's TJ McCauley scored consecutive baskets, one of which was a 3-point play, which allowed Bismarck State to reclaim the lead at half. Halftime score: Bismarck State 47, Henry Ford 44.
1ST HALF LEADERS FOR HENRY FORD:
Willie Mustin, 5'10" Soph, 16 pts
Marcus Knott, 5'11" Fresh, 8 pts
Daris Smith, 5'7" Fresh, 6 pts
1ST HALF LEADERS FOR BISMARCK STATE:
TJ McCauley, 6'2" Soph, 14 pts
Lester Gotheridge, 6'4" Fresh, 9 pts
Brock Copenhaver, 6'2" Fresh, 9 pts
Bismarck State continued to roll in the first 4 minutes of the half, jumping out to a 54-48 lead. TJ McCauley was the driving force for Bismarck State by draining 2 3-point shots and converting a 3-point play, giving him a total of 25 points with 14 minutes remaining in the game. The rest of the Bismarck State squad rallied with McCauley to build a 66-54 lead with a lot of game yet to be played. Henry Ford struggled to get their shots to fall against the zone. Scoring only 4 points in the first 11 minutes of the game, Henry Ford was quickly down 20 points. Henry Ford Head Coach Abe Mashhour was forced to implement a full-court press, which caused problems for Bismarck State. After a Bismarck State 10-second backcourt violation, Henry Ford was able to make some shots to crawl within 9 points with 4 minutes remaining in the game. Once Henry Ford got a sniff of a comeback, they increased their defensive pressure and caused several Bismarck State turnovers. Henry Ford hit a couple big shots to bring them within 4 points with less than 30 seconds to play, but they never were able to bring it closer than that. Bismarck State walked out with the victory with a final score of 95-89.
Bismarck State will advance in the consolation bracket for their final game to play the winner of South Suburban and Morton. This final game will decide if Bismarck will finish in 7th or 8th place in the tournament. Henry Ford is now eliminated from the tournament.
GAME LEADERS FOR HENRY FORD:
Willie Mustin, 5'10" Soph, 25 pts
Marcus Knott, 5'11" Fresh, 19 pts
John Barry, 6'5" Fresh, 13 pts
GAME LEADERS FOR BISMARCK STATE:
TJ McCauley, 6'2" Soph, 31 pts
Lester Gotheridge, 6'4" Fresh, 21 pts
Michael Ulmer, 6'4" Fresh, 17 pts
Brock Copenhaver, 6'2" Fresh, 17 pts