With the game on the wire, Head Coach Tony Shaver drew up a play for his seniors to execute and they delivered.

Shaver called a full timeout with 29.7 seconds remaining (27 seconds showed on the shot clock) to instruct his team that senior forward Laimis Kisielius and senior guard Nathan Mann would be the centerpieces of the final possession. As the clock ticked down, Kisielius found Mann open on the left wing. Mann ball-faked, dribbled once and launched a three-pointer that rimmed out, found the glass and nestled home for a 63-60 Tribe win over Old Dominion University.

“I couldn’t be happier for him to knock in that last shot,” Shaver said. “And we went to him the last play. We ran a play that involved our two seniors and they made the play to win the ballgame for us.”

For most of the game, Mann struggled to find his shooting stroke from outside, but with 6:55 left and in a one possession game, Mann stroked home his first three-pointer of the tournament to push the College’s lead to six at 53-47.

“I’m probably in the worst slump of my career these last four or five games,” Mann said. “It’s real hard for a shooter to identify why, but I mean the only thing you can do is keep shooting and try to play with confidence. They’ll eventually start falling.”

For the Tribe, his shots fell at just the right time.

In a game which saw the College start 0-10 from the floor, the Tribe stayed in the game with its defense, holding the Monarchs to 23 first half points and 37.5 percent shooting for the game. After missing its first 10 attempts, the College trailed ODU 9-2 and finally connected on a pair of treys from sophomore guard David Schneider and junior forward Peter Stein respectively to close the gap to one at 9-8 and ignite a 14-0 run that catapulted the Tribe to its largest lead of the game at 22-13.

The Monarchs closed the first half with a 10-2 run to close to within one at halftime 24-23. In the team’s second meeting of the season, the Tribe led 37-36 at the break, but failed to maintain its lead in the second half.

In today’s third contest between the teams, the College started quickly, scoring the first five points of the second half to push its lead to 29-23. But just like the first half, ODU hung around, continuing to battle and prevent the Tribe from creating a working margin. Three-pointers from Brian Henderson, Abdi Lidonde and Darius James kept the Monarchs close, but the College continued to answer. Back-to-back treys and a pair of free throws from Tribe sophomore forward Danny Sumner pushed the College’s lead to eight at 50-42.

“He’s a pretty good sophomore,” Shaver said. “He gives us an offensive punch that we really need right now as a ballclub.”

Nearly as quickly as Sumner boosted the Tribe, the Monarchs clawed back to within three with 7:31 left and their work on the offensive glass down the stretch allowed them to take their only lead of the second half.

After sophomore guard David Schneider rushed a pass, Monarchs’s guard Brandon Johnson grabbed the ball and headed down court. His teammates eventually found center Gerald Lee down low with good position in the paint. Lee’s defender Stein rejected his first attempt, but Lee corralled the rebound and found the hoop with a stick-back to put the Monarchs ahead 58-57 with 1:41 remaining. ODU’s one-point lead soon evaporated, as Schneider buried a trey from the top of the key to give the College a two-point cushion.

However, the Monarchs battled again on the offensive boards. After two misses, Johnson sailed toward the basket, collecting the rebound and tipping the ball in along the way to knot the game at 60 a piece.

For the second straight day, the Tribe found itself with the ball in its hand with the game on the line. The shooter may have been different, but the result was the same as Mann’s second three-pointer of the day put the College ahead 63-60 with 7.5 seconds left.

After a Tribe timeout, ODU advanced the ball to mid-court before Monarch Head Coach Blaine Taylor called a full timeout. With 5.8 seconds remaining, ODU inbounded the ball again, but the College’s junior forward Chris Darnell committed a foul, stopping the clock at 4.6 seconds. The Tribe had committed just four fouls prior to Darnell’s, so the College had fouls to give to disrupt the Monarchs final possessions.

Johnson received the final inbounds pass and launched a three-pointer that hit the glass, bounced off the rim and found the arms of Mann, sealing the Tribe’s victory and its third-ever trip to the semifinals of the CAA tournament.

Kisielius and Sumner paced the Tribe with 16 points a piece, while Mann netted 10 points. Kisielius finished 7-10 from the field and displayed his versatility, hitting reverse lay-ups, a leaner and even a tip-in to keep the College ahead.

The Tribe faces no. 1 seed Virginia Commonwealth University at 3:00 p.m. in Sunday’s first semifinal.

TRIBE TIDBITS

Kisielius finished the day with 16 points on 7-10 shooting.

Sumner netted 16, hitting 5-8 shots and 3-4 three-point attempts.

Mann reached double-digits for the first time since Feb. 20, finishing with 10 points to go along with six assists.

The Tribe shot 73.7 percent from the floor in the second half, missing just five of its 19 attempts and missing just one of its seven three-pointers.

-AP

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

SENIOR GUARD NATHAN MANN

On his game-winning three-pointer:
I got a good look and I knew was going to. It’s about time I hit a big shot. Fortunately it went in.

On breaking out of his shooting-slump:
It feels great. I’m probably in the worst slump of my career these last four or five games. It’s real hard for a shooter to identify why, but I mean the only thing you can do is keep shooting and try to play with confidence. They’ll eventually start falling.

On his first three-pointer of the game:
It’s always good to see it go in. That was the first one I hit – I mean I didn’t hit any last game – so that was the first one this game. It’s always a nice confidence boost to see the ball go in.

On whether this team felt like it could contend for a conference title:
It feels good. It’s an honor to be a part of really turning this program around. We feet like we’ve done nothing but improve since last season. Since day one we knew we’d have a chance to battle for a league title. We were in a position to do it all season.

On the Tribe’s slow start offensively:
We weren’t running our stuff in the first half. ODU was doing a good job of pressuring us and they took us out of what we wanted to do. They were pressuring the ball and we had to play too far from the basket and we were forcing it a little bit. The second half we calmed down a little bit, stayed within our offense, [and] got better shots a little later in the shot clock.

On playing in the Richmond Coliseum:
It’s a little bit different than Kaplan Arena. It’s a big place. They talk about a shooter’s gym. That’s not a shooters gym. But we made shots when we needed to… Having that second game helps a lot to get a little bit of experience.

SENIOR FORWARD LAIMIS KISIELIUS

On his aggressive play today:
I think the best confidence booster is just to go in and score some layups. It’s do or die now, so you gotta play hard.

HEAD COACH TONY SHAVER

Opening comments:
It’s certainly a great night for our basketball team, and the two guys I’m proudest of are the two guys [Kisielius and Mann] sitting right here. In all honesty, [they’ve] struggled the last three weeks of our season. We’ve stuck with them and they’ve stuck with it. They certainly were the keys to our win tonight. They’ve been they keys to the turnaround in our program and they were the keys to our win tonight. I thought Laimis was sensational.
I thought one of the keys for Nathan – and we talked a little about it before the ballgame – was a little bit of shot selection. He so wants to win the ballgame and lead our team and probably pressed a little bit. He only took six shots tonight, which is down, but they were all good shots.
I couldn’t be happier for him to knock in that last shot. And we went to him the last play. We ran a play that involved our two seniors and they made the play to win the ballgame for us.

On overcoming the Tribe’s slow start offensively:
We’ve been through that a few times lately, so I didn’t have any magic words for them. But what we talked about was how good our defense was. You play that poorly offensively and you’re only down four, five, six points then you’re doing some good things. We felt we had to stick to what we do well and that’s defend. And we rebounded exceptionally well until late in the ballgame. They got some second shots that hurt us there.

On whether or not he thought about changing his lineup with Kisielius and Mann struggling:
These two guys are the reason we are where we are today. They’re the reason we finished fifth in the league. They’re the reason we’re knocking on the door of the elite in this conference. They’re the reason why we’re playing in the semifinal game tomorrow night. Sometimes I couldn’t find the right things to say to them to give them the confidence in themselves that we have in them, but we just kept battling. Well they stepped up time for us today.

On slowing ODU’s sophomore center Gerald Lee:
I thought Pete Stein battled extremely hard – we can’t keep the young guy out of foul trouble. He gets more tough calls on him. But I thought Pete was really good inside, and I thought Chris Darnell was huge on the glass for us tonight as well.

On the play of sophomore forward Danny Sumner in the tournament:
He’s a pretty good sophomore. I’m glad we have him for two more years. Not to take anything away from anybody else, but Danny is the one player we have offensively that create his own shots. When he wants a shot, he can get a shot. The great thing about Danny is he’s improving in other areas of the game so well. He was really good defensively tonight. He gives us an offensive punch that we really need right now as a ballclub. His improvement from freshman year to sophomore year has been pretty sensational.

On what he tells the players in the huddle with the game on the line:
The great thing right at this point of the season is that I can tell these guys with great confidence that we can do it because they’ve done it time after time after time this year. Sometimes coaches say things they may not believe in, but they believe that because they’ve been successful with it. These guys know they have what it takes to win close ballgames.
And it was really nice at the end of the game to have the fouls to give. Not fouling in the 20 minute period was really important for that last seven minutes.

– Andrew Pike

TRIBE 57, ODU 56 – 2:33 Second Half

Stein hit two free throws on a one-and-one, then Henderson drilled a three for ODU.

— JD

TRIBE 55, ODU 53 – 3:30 Second Half

ODU’s Ben Finney scored on a powerful drive to the bucket. It’s getting really physical now down in the trenches. Stein just drew a foul at the other end while battling for a rebound.

— JD

TRIBE 55, ODU 51 – 4:31 Second Half

Kisielius fed Stein for a lay-up on a beautiful pass in the post. ODU’s Lee knocked down four free throws during this stretch. He’s about as smooth a big man as there is anywhere. ODU will likely to continue to look for him in the post.

— JD

TRIBE 53, ODU 47 – 6:21 Second Half

ODU’s not going away. They’ve knocked down a number of key shots to keep them in it. Mann finally hit a three, doubling the Tribe’s lead after the score was 50-47. Sumner hit two threes and knocked down two free throws during this stretch as well. The Tribe is making the shots they have to in order to win this thing. They’re going to have to keep bringing it, however, because the Monarchs are hanging around.

— JD

TRIBE 40, ODU 34 – 11:50 Second Half

The pace is picking up now. Kisielius continues to play well, and Chris Darnell just drilled an open three. The Tribe needs to watch out for Brian Henderson, he’s knocking down just about every shot he takes. Stein picked up his fourth foul on a pretty questionable call, so the Tribe’s going to have to rely heavily on Marcus Kitts and Stephen Hess for the next few minutes.

— JD

TRIBE 33, ODU 28 – 15:57 Second Half

There’s a visible confidence about the Tribe now. It’s like they expect to make every shot and grab every rebound. This stretch is the best they’ve played the entire tournament. On the other side, ODU looks scared (except for their freshman guard James). The Tribe is keeping its lock down defensive pressure up, and Kisielius looks like he’s ready to put the team on his back. He’s really starting to play well now.

— Jeff Dooley

HALFTIME STATS

FIELD Goal Percentage
Tribe- 29.2%
ODU-34.8%

REBOUNDS
Tribe- 17
ODU- 17

LEADING SCORERS
Tribe- Kisielius 8, Schneider 6, Mann 4
ODU- Lee 14, Henderson 5, two tied with 2

TRIBE 24, ODU 23 HALFTIME

With 27.5 seconds left on the clock, the Tribe holds for the final possession of the half but fails to shoot the ball before the buzzer sounds. Senior Nathan Mann is 4-4 from the foul line, but has yet to make a shot from the field. Both teams have 17 total rebounds. ODU sophomore Gerald Lee leads all scorers with 14 points, while Laimis Kisielius has eight for the Tribe.

-CS

TRIBE 22, ODU 21, 1:02 First Half

Gerald Lee’s two three-point plays end the Tribe’s 14-0 run.

TRIBE 20, ODU 13, 3:27 First Half

After two Kisielius lay-ups, the Tribe has stormed out to its first lead of the game. He is playing with a tireless passion and attacking the rim.

TRIBE 11, ODU 13, 7:44 First Half

Schneider made Tribe’s first field-goal of the game nine minutes into the game and Stein responded with a trey of his own giving the team momentum. Both baskets have brought the Tribe faithful back into the game. The Tribe is finally figuring out the Monarch’s zone defense and creating open shots. Gerald Lee is dominating the low block and has eight of ODU’s 13 points. The long ball has been the great equalizer for the Tribe.

-CS

TRIBE 2, ODU 9, 11:57 First Half

The Tribe looks sloppy in their half-court set offense, committing several turnovers and missing long-range shots. But ODU is also experiencing problems.

TRIBE 2, ODU 9, 15:06 First Half

Sophomore Gerald Lee went untouched to the basket for a dunk. Tribe freshman Marcus Kitts is now guarding Lee.

TRIBE 0, ODU 7 , 16:44 First Half

ODU’s Brian Henderson scored the game’s first five points. Nathan Mann missed two three-pointers on the offensive end for the Tribe and committed a turnover. Two minutes into the game, Shaver subbed in guard John Sexton for Mann. ODU is getting good looks and second-chance opportunities.

Game Day Starters

Tribe

Senior forward Laimis Kisielius
Junior forward Peter Stein
Sophomore forward Danny Sumner
Sophomore guard David Schneider
Senior guard Nathan Mann

Monarchs

Sophomore center Gerald Lee
Freshman forward Frank Hassell
Freshman forward Ben Finney
Freshman guard Darius James
Senior guard Brian Henderson

-CS

Pregame

Tip-off for the Tribe’s second round game will be 2:35 p.m. The Tribe’s contingent of fans is about several hundred, while ODU has a slightly bigger group. After VCU defeated Towson in the first game, many black and gold clad VCU fans stayed to watch the game. Noticeably absent from the College’s student section is a pep band, which most schools brought to the tournament.

GAME OVER: TRIBE 63, ODU 60

ODU’s last second shot rims out, and the Tribe is headed for a semifinals date with VCU. More coverage following the press conference.

— JD

TRIBE 63, ODU 60 — 5.8 seconds left, Second Half

ODU advances ball to halfcourt and calls timeout.

— JD

TRIBE 63, ODU 60 — 7.5 seconds left, Second Half

Mann hits three from the left wing to put the Tribe ahead. Timeout taken by the College.

— JD

TRIBE 60, ODU 60 — 29.7 seconds left, Second Half

Schneider hit a big three, but Johnson of ODU put on in for two to knot the game at 60-60. The Tribe has the ball. There are 27 seconds on the shot clock.

— JD

TRIBE 57, ODU 56 – 2:33 Second Half

Stein hit two free throws on a one-and-one, then Henderson drilled a three for ODU.

— JD

TRIBE 55, ODU 53 – 3:30 Second Half

ODU’s Ben Finney scored on a powerful drive to the bucket. It’s getting really physical now down in the trenches. Stein just drew a foul at the other end while battling for a rebound.

— JD

TRIBE 55, ODU 51 – 4:31 Second Half

Kisielius fed Stein for a lay-up on a beautiful pass in the post. ODU’s Lee knocked down four free throws during this stretch. He’s about as smooth a big man as there is anywhere. ODU will likely to continue to look for him in the post.

— JD

TRIBE 53, ODU 47 – 6:21 Second Half

ODU’s not going away. They’ve knocked down a number of key shots to keep them in it. Mann finally hit a three, doubling the Tribe’s lead after the score was 50-47. Sumner hit two threes and knocked down two free throws during this stretch as well. The Tribe is making the shots they have to in order to win this thing. They’re going to have to keep bringing it, however, because the Monarchs are hanging around.

— JD

TRIBE 40, ODU 34 – 11:50 Second Half

The pace is picking up now. Kisielius continues to play well, and Chris Darnell just drilled an open three. The Tribe needs to watch out for Brian Henderson, he’s knocking down just about every shot he takes. Stein picked up his fourth foul on a pretty questionable call, so the Tribe’s going to have to rely heavily on Marcus Kitts and Stephen Hess for the next few minutes.

— JD

TRIBE 33, ODU 28 – 15:57 Second Half

There’s a visible confidence about the Tribe now. It’s like they expect to make every shot and grab every rebound. This stretch is the best they’ve played the entire tournament. On the other side, ODU looks scared (except for their freshman guard James). The Tribe is keeping its lock down defensive pressure up, and Kisielius looks like he’s ready to put the team on his back. He’s really starting to play well now.

— Jeff Dooley

HALFTIME STATS

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Tribe- 29.2%
ODU-34.8%

REBOUNDS
Tribe- 17
ODU- 17

LEADING SCORERS
Tribe- Kisielius 8, Schneider 6, Mann 4
ODU- Lee 14, Henderson 5, two tied with 2

TRIBE 24, ODU 23 HALFTIME

With 27.5 seconds left on the clock, the Tribe holds for the final possession of the half but fails to shoot the ball before the buzzer sounds. Senior Nathan Mann is 4-4 from the foul line, but has yet to make a shot from the field. Both teams have 17 total rebounds. ODU sophomore Gerald Lee leads all scorers with 14 points, while Laimis Kisielius has eight for the Tribe.

-CS

TRIBE 22, ODU 21, 1:02 First Half

Gerald Lee’s two three-point plays end the Tribe’s 14-0 run.

-CS

TRIBE 20, ODU 13, 3:27 First Half

After two Kisielius lay-ups, the Tribe has stormed out to its first lead of the game. He is playing with a tireless passion and attacking the rim. Sumner also hit a shot from beyond the arc.

-CS

TRIBE 11, ODU 13, 7:44 First Half

Schneider made Tribe’s first field-goal of the game nine minutes into the game and Stein responded with a trey of his own giving the team momentum. Both baskets have brought the Tribe faithful back into the game. The Tribe is finally figuring out the Monarch’s zone defense and creating open shots. Gerald Lee is dominating the low block and has eight of ODU’s 13 points. The long ball has been the great equalizer for the Tribe.

-CS

TRIBE 2, ODU 9, 11:57 First Half

The Tribe looks sloppy in their half-court set offense, committing several turnovers and missing long-range shots. But ODU is also experiencing problems.

-CS

TRIBE 2, ODU 9, 15:06 First Half

Sophomore Gerald Lee went untouched to the basket for a dunk. Tribe freshman Marcus Kitts is now guarding Lee.

-CS

TRIBE 0, ODU 7 , 16:44 First Half

ODU’s Brian Henderson scored the game’s first five points. Nathan Mann missed two three-pointers on the offensive end for the Tribe and committed a turnover. Two minutes into the game, Shaver subbed in guard John Sexton for Mann. ODU is getting good looks and second-chance opportunities.

-CS

GAME DAY STARTERS

no. 5 Tribe

Senior forward Laimis Kisielius
Junior forward Peter Stein
Sophomore forward Danny Sumner
Sophomore guard David Schneider
Senior guard Nathan Mann

no. 4 Monarchs

Sophomore center Gerald Lee
Freshman forward Frank Hassell
Freshman forward Ben Finney
Freshman guard Darius James
Senior guard Brian Henderson

PREGAME

Tip-off for the Tribe’s second round game will be 2:35 p.m. The Tribe’s contingent of fans is about several hundred, while ODU has almost twice as many supporters. After VCU defeated Towson in the first game, many black and gold clad VCU fans stayed to watch the game. Noticeably absent from the College’s student cheering section is a pep band, which most schools brought to the tournament.

-Carl Siegmund

p. X-FACTOR: Battle of the Boards

The Tribe must win the battle of the backboards. Jan. 26, in Williamsburg, ODU manhandled junior forward Peter Stein and Co. on the low block. While the Tribe entered the locker room at halftime with a one-point lead, they allowed the Monarchs too many second-chance scoring opportunities in the second half and lost 72-59. ODU out-rebounded the Tribe by 19 in that game.

“We’ve got to do a better job on the boards,” Head Coach Tony Shaver said. “The last time we played ODU, they really hurt us on the offensive backboards.”

KEY MATCHUP: ODU sophomore forward Gerald Lee vs. junior forward Peter Stein

All-CAA second team selection Gerald Lee’s inside presence may spark the Monarchs to victory, but with double-team help, the Tribe should be able to neutralize his scoring abilities. Lee averaged 13 points and five rebounds against the College this season.

“We’re giving up some size in there, just a few pounds,” Shaver said.

OUTLOOK:

After sophomore guard David Schneider led the Tribe to victory with eight points in the game’s final minute Friday, Shaver spoke about getting his starting seniors, Laimis Kisielius and Nathan Mann, relaxed to face ODU in less than 24 hours. All season long, the Tribe has relied on balanced scoring to win close games. Friday, Schneider and sophomore forward Danny Sumner carried the load, while Kisielius and Mann struggled to find an offensive rhythm against Georgia State. The two 1,000-point career scorers combined for 11 points, hitting only three of 17 shots.

In order to beat the more athletic and deeper Monarchs, all five Tribe starters will have to contribute. Expect the duo to excel tomorrow, especially Kisielius, who has played some of his best basketball against the Monarchs. In their last matchup in Williamsburg, he exploded for a career-high 26 points.

FLAT HAT SECOND ROUND PREDICTIONS

Carl Siegmund:
VCU 71, Towson 55
Tribe 65, ODU 62
UNCW 69, Delaware 59
Mason 75, Northeastern 74

Andrew Pike:
VCU 68, Towson 54
ODU 67, Tribe 59
UNCW 72, Delaware 57
Mason 73, Northeastern 68

Jeff Dooley:
VCU 74, Towson 52
Tribe 68, ODU 64
UNCW 70, Delaware 63
Northeastern 61, Mason 59

In a game in which seniors Laimis Kisielius and Nathan Mann had a hard time finding the basket, sophomores David Schneider and Danny Sumner were there to pick them up and lead the team to a comeback 58-57 victory over Georgia State.
The sophomore duo combined for 37 of the Tribe’s 58 points, as Schneider’s 20 points and Sumner’s 17 keyed the College’s victory. With Kisielius and Mann netting just 11 points on 3 of 17 shooting, Schneider and Sumner kept the Tribe in the game. Both played 38 minutes, including a 20-minute effort from Sumner in the second half. Moreover, the two scored 23 of the Tribe’s 33 second-half points, and Schneider poured in the College’s last eight.
The twosome simply gave the Tribe the answer to its shooting-slump – at least for today.
With the College trailing by as many as seven in the second half, Sumner converted an array of shots to keep the Tribe within striking distance. A jumper, fast break dunk, some free throws and reverse-layup steadied the College, allowing the Tribe to continually trim the deficit. After his final point on the front-end of a one-and-one, Sumner assisted on Mann’s lone basket of the second half that put the College four points down with 1:04 left. Then, Sumner and his teammates watched Schneider take over.
Schneider’s first opportunity came after Georgia State’s D.J. Jones committed a backcourt violation, giving the Tribe the ball with 56 seconds remaining. Ten seconds later, Schneider drained a trey to cut the deficit to one. Next, Schneider delivered with a baseline runner, driving from the right wing and skying his shot over incoming Panther defenders to push the Tribe to within one with 16 seconds left. And finally, after Head Coach Tony Shaver drew up a final play with Schneider in mind, he sunk a three-pointer off a screen from junior Peter Stein, as last year’s buzzer-beating opponent Leonard Mendez sailed past him and Trae Goldston sliced in for an attempt at a steal.
“On the last play, we wanted the ball in David Schneider’s hands, I’ll tell you that,” Shaver said. “There’s not many things in life you can count on, but one of them is David Schneider’s effort.
“I’ve said it before, but I’ll take 15 David Schneiders and I’ll play the world.”
Schneider finished the game six of eight from three-point range; he contributed all six of the Tribe’s treys for the day. Schneider also gave the College a little revenge, after last year’s last second loss to the Panthers.
Most important for the Tribe, however, Schneider and Sumner picked the team up and carried it to victory.

p. RICHMOND, Va. — For the second year in a row, the Tribe’s opening round game of the CAA tournament against Georgia State University came down to a last-second shot. This time, the College was on the right end of it.

Sophomore guard David Schneider raced the length of the court with 7.9 seconds remaining, utilized a screen set by junior center Peter Stein, and rattled home a three-pointer with 1.3 seconds left on the clock to give the Tribe its fourth-ever CAA tournament game victory, winning by a score of 58-57.

“The basketball gods smiled back at us today,” Head Coach Tony Shaver said, referencing last year’s tournament game between the two teams when Panthers guard Leonard Mendez hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the contest.

Schneider put the team on his back in the final moments, hitting a trey to cut the Panthers’ lead to one at 54-53. After two made free throws by Panthers guard Trae Goldston, Schneider again cut it to one with a tough runner to make it 56-55 with 14.9 seconds remaining.

The Tribe put Mendez on the line with 7.9 seconds left for two shots, and the junior missed the front end before hitting the second, giving GSU a thin 57-55 lead and setting the stage for Schneider’s final heroics. The final margin of 58-57 was the Tribe’s first lead since the score was 6-4 in the game’s opening minutes.

Schneider finished the game with 20 points, three assists, two rebounds, two steals and no turnovers. He also played 38 of the game’s 40 minutes, and knocked down all six of the team’s three-point baskets, the last of which propelled the Tribe into the next round.

“Coach said, ‘Try and take it to the rim, if you can,’ but I just felt like the [three-pointer] was going to be there, and if it was going to be there that I was going to take it,” Schneider said.

The Panthers went on a 19-6 run in the first half to give them an early lead, a lead they would keep throughout the first half and most of the second. They scored both on the inside and the outside, as Mendez knocked down a trio of treys on his way to 11 first half points. The Tribe, in contrast, was ice cold in the first half, shooting 32 percent from the field, 17 percent from three-point range and an abysmal 47 percent from the free throw line.

The College scrapped back in the second half, coming within two points of GSU early in the second at 33-31 after freshman forward Marcus Kitts’ three-point play. The Panthers were resilient, however, seeming to have an answer for every Tribe run, and the College was unable to regain the lead until the game’s final play.

“The one thing we did really well today was continue to battle,” Shaver said.

Sophomore forward Danny Sumner was pivotal in the Tribe’s comeback, contributing a series of big plays including a steal and fast break dunk that electrified the Tribe faithful in attendance. Sumner finished with 17 points and five rebounds to go along with two steals.

Senior forward Laimis Kisielius and senior guard Nathan Mann struggled throughout the game, combining to shoot 3 of 17 from the field and score 11 points.

“I really wish that Laimis and Nathan, that they could just relax and play,” Shaver said. “Their will to win is so strong right now, and I think they feel like they need to carry our ball club too much right now and I think they’re pressing a little bit. Somehow, someway, between now and tomorrow we need to get them to just relax a little and play the game.”

The Tribe will take on fourth-seeded Old Dominion University tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. at the Richmond Coliseum.

Keep checking FlatHatNews.com for all your CAA tournament coverage of the Tribe.

4:34 – TRIBE 58, GEORGIA STATE 57. FINAL

DAVID SCHNEIDER HITS THE GAME WINNING THREE-POINT SHOT WITH 1.5 SECONDS LEFT ON THE CLOCK. HE IS MOBBED BY TEAMMATES AT CENTER COURT AFTER THE GAME.

4:33 – TRIBE 55, GEORGIA STATE 57, :8 Second Half

Leonard Mendez, the hero of last year’s first round, misses the front-end of a one and one for GSU. The Tribe has the ball for the final shot of the game.

4:28 – TRIBE 53, GEORGIA STATE 56, :26 Second Half

Trae Goldston makes both of his foul shots to give GSU a three-point lead. The Tribe has the ball for the final possession.

-CS

4:25 – TRIBE 53, GEORGIA STATE 54, :39 Second Half

Nathan Mann makes his second field goal of the game to keep the Tribe in the game. Coming out of the timeout at 1:10, he is barking instructions to his teammate to prepare for a full-court press. Schneider nails a three-pointer to make it a one point game.

-CS

4:20 – TRIBE 48, GEORGIA STATE 50, 2:10 Second Half

Kisielius and Sumner sink three of four foul shots to make it a one possession game.

-CS

4:13 – TRIBE 45, GEORGIA STATE 50, 3:49 Second Half

Danny Sumner’s fastbreak dunk cuts the GSU lead to three and ignites several hundred Tribe fans in attendance, but GSU counters with a three-point play on their next possession. The Tribe is playing with more intensity but their comeback effort is stalling as the two team’s trade baskets down the stretch. As a team, they are shooting 4-19 from beyond the three-point line. Nathan Mann has made one field goal the entire game.

-CS

4:03 p.m. – TRIBE 38, GEORGIA STATE 43, 7:52 Second Half

Nathan Mann’s shot comes up short, but he played lockdown defense on GSU guard Leonard Mendez to keep the Tribe within striking distance. Danny Sumner followed with another athletic play to force a turnover at the top of the key.

-CS

3:53 p.m. – TRIBE 34, GEORGIA STATE 38, 11:46 Second Half

More bad luck for the Tribe as they try to make a comeback attempt in the second half. One referee calls an offensive charge on GSU, but the other over rules his call and says it’s a blocking foul on the Tribe.

Schneider, who’s been a streak shooter all year, appears to be heating up after struggling with his shot in the first half. He is 4-6 from beyond the arc.

Georgia State fans continue to mock the Tribe’s cheerleaders with chants of “Our cheerleaders are hotter than your’s”

-CS

3:43 p.m. – TRIBE 28, GEORGIA STATE 33, 18:15 Second Half

The Tribe turned the ball over on two of its first three possessions of the second half, but David Schneider nailed a three-pointer on the next possession. GSU has controlled the low block and continues to make senior Laimis Kisielius take outside shots.

– Carl Siegmund

3:32 p.m. – GEORGIA STATE HALFTIME STATS

Field Goals: 14-30, 46.7 percent
3-point field goals: 3-11, 27.3 percent
Free Throws: 0-0
Rebounds: 22
Turnovers: 7
Fouls: 11

– AP

3:28 p.m. – TRIBE HALFTIME STATS

Field Goals: 7-22, 31.8 percent
3-point field goals: 2-12, 16.7 percent
Free Throws: 9-19, 47.4 percent
Rebounds: 14
Turnovers: 3
Fouls: 4

– AP

3:23 p.m. – TRIBE 25 GEORGIA STATE 31, HALFTIME

Thanks in large part to 19 trips to the foul line, the Tribe finds itself down just six at the half. However, the College has converted on only nine of its 19 free throw attempts – good for 47.4 percent (nearly 23 percentage points less than the Tribe’s season average of 70.1 percent).

Danny Sumner leads the College with eight points, while David Schneider has chipped in six points. Peter Stein finished the half with five points.

Neither team has found its stroke from beyond the arc, as the Tribe has hit just two of its first 12 three-point attempts, while the Panthers are three of 11.

– AP

3:14 p.m. – TRIBE 19 GEORGIA STATE 27, 3:44 FIRST HALF

Georgia State holds a 19 to eight advantage on the boards and is shooting 50 percent from the floor. The Tribe has made just five of its 17 field goal attempts.

– AP

3:07 p.m. – TRIBE 16 GEORGIA STATE 23, 7:22 FIRST HALF

Danny Sumner and Peter Stein are keeping the Tribe in the game. The two have combined for 12 of the College’s 16 points. Meanwhile, Georgia State’s Leonard Mendez already has 11 points.

– AP

2:58 p.m. – TRIBE 6 GEORGIA STATE 13, 11:01 FIRST HALF

The Panthers have reeled off nine straight points to take a seven point lead. Meanwhile, the Tribe has started 1-10 from the field and 0-7 from three-point range. Nathan Mann is 0-4 from beyond the arc.

– AP

2:50 p.m – TRIBE 6 GEORGIA STATE 4, 15:59 FIRST HALF

Danny Sumner received a lob pass from David Schneider and made a reverse lay-up to put the Tribe up 6-4. The College is four of six from the line.

– AP

2:40 p.m. – GAME STARTERS

Normal starting five for the Tribe today with David Schneider, Nathan Mann, Laimis Kisielius, Peter Stein and Danny Sumner. For the Panthers – Trae Goldston, Michael Moynihan, Rashad Chase, Leonard Mendez and Deven Dickerson.

– AP

2:32 p.m. – TRIBE RETURNS

After returning to the locker room for final instructions from the coaching staff, the Tribe has taken the floor at the Richmond Coliseum for final warm-ups prior to tip-off.

– AP

2:31 p.m. – A LITTLE HOME-COOKING

Today’s public address announcer is none other than William and Mary’s own Chuck Wolf. Wolf received a call yesterday to fill in for this weekend’s 11-game tournament.

– AP

2:24 p.m. – TIP-OFF AT 2:38

The Towson-Hofstra game pushed the start time of the Tribe’s contest with Georgia State back to approximately 2:38 p.m.

– AP

2:15 p.m. – TRIBE WARM-UPS BEGIN

Following Towson’s 81-66 victory over Hofstra, the Tribe arrived on the floor to begin warm-ups. In a noticeably cold arena, the College will need to heat up from beyond the arc today after shooting slumps in its past three games.

– Andrew Pike

p. For the second straight year, the College will meet Georgia State University in the first round of the CAA Tournament. Friday’s matinee matchup will pair the fifth-seeded Tribe (14-15, 10-8 CAA) with the 12th-seeded Panthers (9-20, 5-13). In last year’s first round game, the Panthers’ Leonard Mendez connected on a 35-foot buzzer-beating three to send the College home.

Since its final game Saturday – a 54-43 loss to Virginia Commonwealth University – the Tribe has taken a few days off to rest and prepare for its rematch with Georgia State.

The two teams met only once this season Jan. 12 when the Tribe rallied from 16-down to defeat Georgia State 60-58 in Atlanta. That game marked the College’s third-straight double-digit rally for a win in conference play and came in the middle of the Tribe’s six-game CAA winning streak.

“That game was so long ago it seems like another season,” Head Coach Tony Shaver said. “It’ll be a tough matchup, but there isn’t one in this league that isn’t a tough matchup, so it’s one we’re looking forward to.”

In that contest, the College’s three leading scorers – senior forward Laimis Kisielius, senior guard Nathan Mann and sophomore guard David Schneider – reached double-digits in scoring to pace the Tribe. The most recent time all three reached scored at least 10 points came in the College’s last victory – a 57-50 defeat of Drexel. In the three games since the Drexel win, the trio has combined to shoot 25 percent from the field and just 20.3 percent from three-point range. If the trend holds, the Tribe faces an uphill climb in order to advance in the tournament.

After winning nine of 10 conference games to boost its CAA record to 9-3, the College has dropped five of six conference games and six of its last seven contests. During its last seven games, the Tribe has averaged only 54 points per game, while shooting 26.3 percent from three-point range.

“Well we were just saving all the makes for this weekend I think,” Shaver said. “We’re counting on those going in the hole for us this weekend.”

Meanwhile, Georgia State enters the game winners of three of its past five games and with new faces in the starting lineup. First-year coach Rod Barnes inserted sophomore guard Michael Moynihan into the starting lineup for the first time with five games remaining in the regular season, while Barnes added senior center Deven Dickerson to the starting five just three games ago. Since then, Moynihan has averaged 13.9 points and 3.8 assists per game, and Dickerson has averaged 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest.

Moynihan and Dickerson have brought extra offense to a team that ranks second-to-last in scoring in the CAA at 61.7 per game. Mendez leads the Panthers in scoring at 16.1 points a game, ranking fifth in the conference. Mendez and running mate sophomore Trae Goldston are among the conference leaders in three-point field goal percentage, as each nets 40.6 percent of their attempts.

With Mendez and Goldston in the backcourt, 6’7” junior forward Rashad Chase gives the Panthers another interior option in addition to Dickerson, averaging 7.7 points and 7.7 rebounds a game.

Throughout the season, Georgia State has played in close games, as seven of its 13 CAA losses have come by five or less points. After nipping George Mason University 66-64, the Panthers suffered a string of two-point defeats in January, including the 60-58 loss to the Tribe.

For the Panthers, Friday’s game gives them an opportunity to end the 12th-seed’s drought at the tournament. In the two previous no. 5 vs. no. 12 matchups, the fifth-seed has come out on top. Meanwhile, the Tribe will be looking for its fourth-ever CAA tournament victory and its first since Mar. 4, 2005 when the College defeated James Madison University 68-54.

Last year’s 70-68 first round loss to the Panthers saw the Tribe mount a furious comeback in the game’s final 1:17, as then senior Adam Payton converted a three-point play with 4.7 seconds left to cap a 11-1 College run that gave the Tribe a 68-67 lead. But Mendez’s buzzer-beater erased the College’s comeback effort, sending Georgia State into the quarterfinals.

The winner of Friday’s game will advance to face fourth-seeded Old Dominion University (17-14, 11-7) Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Shaver Earns CAA Coach of Year Award

At tonight’s CAA awards banquet, Tribe Head Coach Tony Shaver was awarded Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Tribe to a 10-8 conference record and its second-ever double-digit win season in the conference. Shaver follows Charlie Woollum and Bruce Parkhill as the College’s third recipient of the award.

“You get an honor like that it’s just shared by so many people really,” Shaver said. “The whole team, but I think especially the seniors who’ve come from so little to real respectability in this league, so I think they share more in that than anybody.”

Shaver guided a Tribe team predicted to finish ninth in the conference to a fifth-place finish in the CAA.

In addition to Shaver’s award, senior forward Laimis Kisielius, senior forward Chris Stratton and sophomore David Schneider also received recognition for their play this season and their prowess in the classroom. Kisielius earned third-team All-CAA and second-team All-Academic honors, while Stratton joined Kisielius on the All-Academic second team. Meanwhile, Schneider garnered first-team All-Academic accolades.

Kisielius’s all-conference citation marks the first such honor of his career.

The Tribe faces Georgia State Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the first round of the CAA tournament.

Keys to the game: No. 5 Tribe vs. No. 12 Georgia State – CAA First Round

Written by Jeff Dooley, Flat Hat Sports Editor

When the Tribe has the ball

1. Get to the charity stripe – As simple as it seems, the Tribe has the most success when it gets to the free throw line more than its opponent. In order for this to happen, the team must not park themselves out at the three-point line and rely only on long jump shots. Sophomore point guard David Schneider should take the lead on this, as he shoots 86 percent from the line and only 33 percent from beyond the arc. With Schneider penetrating and either drawing contact or kicking it out to his teammates (he ranks third in the CAA with a 1.96 assist-to-turnover ratio), the Tribe offense will be in good shape. This will also lead to better looks from long distance for sharp-shooting seniors Nathan Mann and Laimus Kisielius. A high shooting percentage is a must for the Tribe, as the team does not rebound well (ninth in the CAA with a rebounding margin of negative two) and the Panthers’ junior Rashad Chase pulls down nearly eight boards per game.

2. Maintain balance – The College doesn’t have a go-to scorer (Schneider leads the team with 10.9 per game) that it can rely on, so it is important that the team take advantage of its impressive balance on the offensive end (all five starters average over eight points per game). No one on this team is a real threat to take his defender one-on-one, so they have to play smart basketball and knock down open shots when opportunities present themselves. It is very important to the Tribe’s success that sophomore forward Danny Sumner (the team’s best athlete) get involved early, as he is the player most likely to create instant offense off of cheap buckets and finishes around the basket. If the Panthers have to focus on guarding all five players on the court at any given time, that is going to lead to more open looks for the Tribe.

When the Panthers have the ball

1. Defend the three-point line – The Tribe is well aware of what Leonard Mendez is capable of. The Panthers’ junior guard sent the College packing in last year’s first round contest between the two teams after he hit a 40-footer as time expired to win the game for GSU. Mendez is turning out an impressive season this year as well, ranking fifth in the CAA in both scoring (16.1 ppg) and three-point shooting percentage (40 percent). It is from beyond the arc that the Panthers are most dangerous, as collectively they shot 37.5 percent from long range for the season, good for second-best in the CAA. Mendez and backcourt mate sophomore Trae Goldston teamed up to shoot over 40 percent from deep this season, making it essential that the Tribe respect the duo’s shooting capabilities. If the College is able to contest every deep shot and get the Panthers’ shooting percentage somewhere in the 25 to 30 percent range, they should be in good shape.

2. Don’t take GSU lightly – It would be easy for the Tribe to look at the Panthers’ lackluster, last-place performance this season and write them off as an easy opponent. But if the team were to look at GSU’s last five games, they’d see an opponent that finished the year 3-2, scoring 70.6 points per game while shooting 45 percent from distance and 47 percent overall. If the Panthers come out playing at that level in the first round, the Tribe could be in trouble. That is why the College must come out with a high intensity level, scrapping for every rebound and loose ball to gain any advantage it can over its opponent. If the Tribe takes the Panthers too lightly, it could be in for a rude awakening Friday afternoon.

Be sure to check FlatHatNews.com starting Friday afternoon for all your CAA Tournament coverage of the Tribe, including live stats, game stories, commentary and more.