The Middlebury College Men’s Basketball Team was ranked 1st in the NCAA Division III Northeast Region standing posted on February 28th.
The Panthers finished the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 28-2. Middlebury faced St. Thomas in the Final Four and lost 73-71.
The Panthers’ Season
The Panthers met the St. Thomas Tommies in the Final Four matchup and lost in a close match 73-71. St. Thomas got off to a quick start as they went on a 10-2 run with 2:33 left in the first half and led 32-25 going into the break.
Middlebury shot just 33.3% from the field in the first half, missing all 9 three-point attempts, while St. Thomas went 41.9% from the field and made 4 of 7 three’s. In the second half, Middlebury went on an 18-3 run and gained the lead 50-43 with 8:19 left to play. St. Thomas began chipping away at Middlebury’s lead and eventually took it completely 59-54 with 1:15 left in the game.
A huge three for Middlebury was made, and brought them to within 2 points. This was as close as they would get. St. Thomas shot 45.7% from the floor, while Middlebury shot 42% from the field for the game.
The Panthers struggled from the line going 12 of 23 and turned the ball over 18 times, but they had an advantage on the boards 37-28. The Panthers had much success as they had 28 wins, were the NESCAC champions, and made it the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Head Coach Jeff Brown leads the Panthers but relies on Ryan Sharry and Andrew Locke to win games.
About The Team
Head Coach Jeff Brown is in his 14th season with the Panthers. He has led the team to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances with a combined record of 93-17 in that time. The team has also won a pair of NESCAC Championships. Brown was named NESCAC Coach of the Year this season, as well as in 2009. He was also named this season’s Northeast Region Coach of the Year by the NABC.
Junior Ryan Sharry was named All-NESCAC First Team and NABC All-Northeast Region First Team. He averages 13.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Sharry has a dozen double-doubles this season to go along with his career highs of 889 points, 600 rebounds, and 126 blocks in 77 career games.
Senior Andrew Locke was named All-NESCAC Second team and NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. He averages 10.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots per game. Locke owns school records for most blocked shots in a game (13), season (114), and career (349).
About The School
Middlebury College is located in Middlebury, Vermont and offers an inspirational setting for learning and reflection. The college also offers a rich array of undergraduate and graduate programs that connect the community to other places, countries, and cultures.
Through the pursuit of knowledge unconstrained by national or disciplinary boundaries, students who come to Middlebury learn to engage the world.
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