McCormick Dominates Shoremen, Garnet Hold On For Win
CHESTERTOWN, Md. - Swarthmore junior center Ian McCormick set career-highs with 29 points and 19 rebounds while classmate Matt Kurman dropped in 17 points as the visiting Garnet (8-10 overall, 5-6 CC) held off Washington (Md.) 83-78 in Centennial men's basketball action Wednesday night.
Todd Green scored a career-high 21 points for the Shoremen (3-13 overall, 2-8 CC) while Joey Breslin added 17 points and Tim Kohlrus chipped in 11 points and career-best five blocks.
Washington came into the night having won four of the last five contests between the two schools. Always an exciting match-up, the winning team has scored over 80 points in nine of the 15 meetings. Three times in the three seasons the Swarthmore-Washington game in Tarble Pavilion has headed to double overtime, with the Garnet coming out on top, 87-86, in the most recent extra-period affair in 2005.
The Garnet worked the ball inside in the early going on Wednesday night, getting eight points from McCormick to grab an early 15-12 lead with 13:21 left in the half. Kolhrus dropped in a jumper for the Shoremen at 8:31 to make it 24-22. Swarthmore answered with a 9-2 run over the next two minutes; taking a 33-25 lead following two free throws by Wolf.
Washington continued the see-saw action, scoring eight of the next 10 points to make it a two-point game. Green dropped in a jumper and a three-pointer to bring WAC within 35-33 with 5:11 to go in the half. The Swarthmore juniors put the Garnet back out front by eight points--guard Noam Fliegelman, Kurman, and McCormick all scored along the way.
Garnet freshman Matt Allen scored a lay-up at the 1:04 mark to put the visitors up by 10, its largest lead of the half, and Swarthmore held a 47-38 lead into the intermission.
McCormick led the Garnet with 12 points and nine rebounds while Kurman added 10 points and three assists. Swarthmore shot 55% (21 of 38) from the floor and out-rebounded Washington 23-16. Green dropped in 15 first-half points for the Shoremen while Green added 14 points and three helpers.
The Shoremen busted out of the gate to start the second half, scoring the first five points to make it a four-point game after a three-pointer by Breslin. McCormick put Swarthmore on the board with a jumper at 17:25 and extended the lead back to six, 51-45, with a pair of free throws.
Washington scored the next six points to take its first lead, 52-51, since the 15:16 mark in the first half. Staying the back-and-forth course, the Garnet checked off six straight markers of its own to re-claim a five-point spread. Swarthmore junior Steve Wolf nailed a jumper, freshman Matt Turner hit double figures with a bucket of his own, and senior Chris Casey converted a lay-up to put Swarthmore up 57-52 with 11:42 to go.
McCormick took over the game in the middle of the half, scoring nine of Swarthmore's next 11 points, to help the visitors hold a 72-65 lead at the 5:38 mark.
The Garnet headed to the line 17 times over the next four minutes, sealing its third straight Centennial road victory by hitting 11 of the attempts. A point of emphasis lately, Swarthmore hit 21 of 34 (61.8%) from the charity stripe on the night, out-performing Washington (13 of 23, 56.5%).
For the first time in 170 games, the Garnet did not make a three-point basket (0 for 4 on the night). The streak dates back to a 78-61 home loss vs. Drew on Feb. 7, 2000.
McCormick's 19 rebounds are the most by a Garnet player since Joe Culley, Jr. '00 grabbed 19 vs. Moravian on January 7, 2000.
Since returning from Texas after New Year's, McCormick has hit double figures in eight consecutive games and picked up four double-doubles. McCormick now has 906 career points, inching him closer to becoming the 16th Swarthmore man to accumulate 1,000 points in a career. The Seattle, Wa.-native is also just six rebounds from joining the 500-rebound club—only five other Garnet men have collected 1,000 points and 500 rebounds during their career at Swarthmore.
Swarthmore will return home on Sat., Jan. 27 when Centennial-foe Dickinson comes to Tarble Pavilion for a 4:00 p.m. game.