Shots don’t fall as Swarthmore eliminated in Division III semifinals

Swarthmore College controlled the first half but couldn’t make a shot down the homestretch in a season-ending 69-66 loss to Christopher Newport in the NCAA Division III semifinals Thursday in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Junior Vinny Deangelo (Sun Valley All-delco) led the Garnet with 23 points and George Visconti added 21. But Deangelo, who was named first-team Allamerica by the NABC, was just 7 of 23 from the floor, including 3 of 10 from downtown, three of those misses in the last 30 seconds.

Michael Caprise had two points and a dozen boards for the Garnet (28-4), who were 17 of 17 at the free throw line.

Garnet coach Landry Kosmalski, after praising his opponent and wishing it well, paid tribute to his seniors.

“It was a tough locker room right now with our five seniors,” said Kosmalski rattling off the names of Visconti, George Corzine, T.J. Chapman and Julian Levin. “There’s tears and there’s pain. But I hope they realize what kind of season we had and what kind of careers they had. I think they’ll look back and see what an amazing ride it was. Two Final Fours, one national championship appearance, 29-4 in two years. Overall, they were great years.”

Jahn Hahn had 22 points and eight rebounds, Trey Barber 21 for the second-ranked Captains (29-3), who overcame a sluggish first half in the first of two Final Four games at Allen County Memorial Stadium. CNU will take on No. 3 Mount Union, a xx-xx winner over Wisconsin-whitewater, in Saturday’s championship game.

The seventh-ranked Garnet could have knotted the game after Henderson missed three of four free throws in the last 20 seconds and the Captains up by just three points. However Deangelo missed a couple of three-pointers.

Just when it appeared the Garnet was finished, Barber blew a one-and-one, the Garnet got the rebound and called time with 4.0 seconds remaining.

Deangelo split two defenders but hit the back of the iron on a running three-point attempt just before the buzzer.

“We prepared for an absolute battle,” Christopher Newport coach John Krikorian said. “And that’s exactly what it was. Swarthmore is so good. They ex

ecute so well. They’re so well coached. What an unbelievable school. And my guys here, they just refused to lose. They have a confidence about them in tough moments that comes through. They find a way. And as you saw at the end it’s not always pretty. I tell them that starts with the head coach. I’m not very pretty. That’s us. These guys are warriors, and they found a way.”

The Garnet led by four at the half but the Captains scored seven of the first nine points in the second half to ease into a 37-34 lead, Henderson sinking a triple.

The Garnet made just five of their first 19 shots in the second half to fall behind, 56-49 with 5:39 left while the Captains drilled 12 of 22 field goal attempts in that span.

The cold shooting continued as the Garnet went more than five minutes without a field goal in falling behind by nine points.

But Visconti immediately went coast to coast and made the free throw to give the Garnet a transfusion and moments later Deangelo hit a triple to slice the deficit to 60-57 with 3:15 to go.

Rodney Graves answered with a trey for the Captains, who made one of two free throws to offset a Deangelo three that got the Garnet within 64-62.

The Garnet made 17 of 17 at the charity stripe on the night.

Christopher-newport trailed by seven points as it made just two of 11 shots in a barren stretch in the first half.

Still, they knotted the score at 16 with 3:49 left before the intermission.

The Garnet then made four straight shots to grab a 25-20 lead, Colin Shaw drilling two of those jumpers. Shaw had 10 points, Deangelo and Visconti seven each as the Garnet led, 30-26 at the intermission.

The Garnet crushed the Captains on the boards, 22-9, but had 10 turnovers and made just 12 of 29 shots from the floor.

Trey Barber led the Captains with 11 points.

“Tonight in the huddle we just talked about getting stops, and we were able to chip away a little at the end there,” Deangelo said. “We got some really good looks at the end there to try to tie it. They just didn’t fall.”