McCormick Has Triple-Double, Garnet Lose Close One to Terror
WESTMINSTER, Md. -- Swarthmore senior center Ian McCormick posted a triple-double and classmate Noam Fleigelman added a season-high 14 points, but hometown McDaniel held on for a 66-61 win in the Centennial Conference opener for both squads Wednesday night in the Gill Center.
McDaniel remains undefeated at 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Centennial while the Garnet slip to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Down by as much as 21 points in the first half, the Swarthmore men roared out of the locker room to get back in the game. Fliegelman, a team captain, sparked the Garnet at the start of the half, scoring six points in the first five minutes to get Swarthmore within 10. Senior guard Matt Kurman (Rockville, Md. / Walter Johnson) kept the scoring going, banking a short jumper out of a McDaniel time-out to make it 47-39 Green Terror.
Three consecutive buckets by Swarthmore junior Steve Wolf (Philadelphia, Pa. / Father Judge) brought the Garnet within two, 53-51 with 11 minutes to go. A free throw by McCormick got Swarthmore within one point but McDaniel’s Ryan Finch (Flemington, N.J. / Hunterdon) finish and old-fashion three-point play at 7:20 to put the home team back up four, 58-54. Green Terror junior forward Steve Wilson (Lebanon, N.J. / North Hunterdon) grabbed an offensive board and put it in the hoop at 6:30 to push the McDaniel lead to six.
Arrington broke loose for a driving lay-up at 2:08 and the teams traded turnovers and missed shots at the end of the game. A Swarthmore jumper was short with 10 seconds to go and McDaniel managed to come out with the ball while calling timeout. Swarthmore was forced to foul and Jones hit a pair from the line to seal the win.
McCormick led Swarthmore with 16 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks. He is the first Garnet male to establish the rare triple-double since Jacob Letendre '04 did it (13 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) vs. Washington on January 7, 2004. The 10 blocks ties him for the second-most in a Centennial men’s basketball game (the record is 11 held by from Washington). He is now just 10 swats away from tying the school record for career blocks of 148, held by Rob Ruffin ’92.
Fliegelman hit five-of-eight from the field and four-of-four from the line for 14 points. Wolf finished the night with 12 points and seven rebounds for Swarthmore.
McDaniel senior Chad Arrington (Randallstown, Md. / Randallstown) had a double-double for the Green Terror with 12 points and 13 rebounds while also registering a game-high five steals.
Turnovers filled the first five minutes (McDaniel picked up four steals) and the Green Terror opened up an 11-2 advantage after a T.J. Odunlami (Columbia, Md. / Atholton) jumper at 15:38.
McCormick helped the Garnet get within seven, 13-6, by sinking one of two from the line.
An Arrington dunk and two Kevin Henry triples put McDaniel fueled a 13-2 run, putting the home team in front 26-8 at the 7:25-mark. The Green Terror continued to pour in the points, shooting 48.4% from the floor in the first half, getting a lead as large as twenty-one (31-10 at 5:51).
Swarthmore sophomore guard Matt Allen (Seattle, Wash. / Lakeside) hit a baseline jumper and freshman forward Sam Lacy (Jericho, Vt. / Mount Mansfield Union) canned a corner three-pointer to bring the Garnet within fourteen, 41-27, at the intermission.
A balanced McDaniel attack saw Odunlami lead with seven points while three others put in six points. The Green Terror out-rebounded Swarthmore 22-14 while accumulating nine steals in the first 20 minutes.
McCormick carried Swarthmore with 10 points, five rebounds and four blocks at the break.
Swarthmore continues its four-game road trip this Saturday at defending Conference champion Johns Hopkins. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Baltimore.