Fighting Scots advance to second round

The Maryville College Fighting Scots will advance to the second round of the NCAA Division III men’s national tournament after a 70-58 victory at the hands of the Choctaws of Mississippi College. Maryville used their strong defensive intensity and created a very physical environment for Mississippi. Both teams came into tonight’s match-up with defense on their minds. “We were prepared to play just as aggressive as Maryville on defense, but their pressure and physical nature got the job done,” stated Mississippi’s Head Coach Don Lofton. “The difference was their ability to convert defensive pressure into points. We shot only 41%. That will not get the job done, especially on the road.” Maryville’s Randy Lambert echoed the same of his squad. “I like the way we stepped up the defensive intensity and our composure to make plays down the stretch.” “We scored 8 to 10 points off of our pressure man defense.” The first half resulted in a 28-28 tie. Each offensive set was a battle of patience and good looks at the basket. Each defense refused to let the other have many second shot baskets. Maryville benefited from a 12-2 run with 11:43 remaining in the contest to provide a much-needed margin of victory. Maryville’s Ben Robison and Walden Buttram hit key baskets within this 5-minute stretch to secure the victory. Mississippi (20-8) was led on the evening by the 12-point effort of Tracy Phillips. Chad Smith added 11 for the Choctaws. The Fighting Scots were paced by four players in double figures. Ben Robison hit 8 of 15 shots for 18 points. Sidney Ellis and Josh Tummel tallied 15 points apiece. Walden Buttram contributed 10 key points off the bench. Maryville (22-5) will travel to Hanover College and take on the Panthers Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Tip-Off is slated for 7:00 p.m. Fans of Maryville College can listen to the game on AM 1470 WBCR Radio or utilize the web-cast located at www.maryvillecollege.edu.