Tigers fall in semifinals

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Although the DePauw University men's basketball team did not win the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament this year, the Tigers are heading to the Big Dance.

DePauw earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Opponents, sites and dates will be announced at a later date.

The Tigers will be making their second straight appearance in the postseason after earning the SCAC automatic bid last year. The Tigers will be appearing in their 12th Division III tournament.

DePauw -- ranked 22nd in the nation and the top seed in the SCAC Tournament -- finished the regular season with a 22-5 record after falling to Trinity in the SCAC semifinals, 77-72.

Trinity advanced to the finals of the tourney, where it fell to Centre, 72-57.

The Tigers cut a 14-point Trinity lead to three in the final minute Saturday but the fourth-seeded Tigers held on for the five-point win.

Trinity built an 11-point lead in the first half but the Tigers closed the gap to six, 36-30, by halftime. The Tigers scored the first four points of the second half to pull within two but Trinity scored five straight points to take a 41-34 lead, and marched ahead by as many as 14, 63-49, with 5:22 left in regulation.

DePauw scored 15 points in the final minutes of the contest to pull within three, but Trinity hit 10-of-12 free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.

Austin Brown led the Tigers with 18 points while Mike Moore and Ryan Werntz each had 11. Matt McDonald also had nine rebounds as DPU had a 34-26 edge on the boards. Moore also had a double-double, tallying 10 assists in the loss.

Charles Hudson led Trinity with 14 points.

DePauw shot 54 percent from the field, but committed 19 turnovers. Trinity only turned the ball over seven times.

At Memphis, Tenn.

SCAC Men's Basketball Tournament

Semifinals

Trinity 36 41 -- 77

DePauw 30 42 -- 72

Trinity -- Moon 4-9 0-0 11, York 2-6 7-9 12, Houston 6-12 1-2 14, Hill 1-4 0-0 2, Gilb 3-5 5-6 11, Culver 0-0 0-0 0, Koch 1-3 4-4 6, Robinson 1-4 0-0 2, Polidoroff 3-4 2-4 9, Lewis 2-5 4-5 8. Totals 23-51 FG, 25-34 FT, 77 TP.

DePauw -- Brown 7-12 2-6 18, Moore 5-10 0-2 11, Schott 4-5 0-0 8, Sakel 3-10 0-0 9, McDonald 3-4 2-2 8, James 1-1 0-0 3, Werntz 4-8 0-0 11, Oilar 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 29-54 FG, 4-10 FT, 72 TP.

3-pt. FG -- T 6-14 (Moon 3-6), DPU 10-27 (Werntz 3-7, Sakel 3-9). Rebounds -- T 26 (Gilb 6), DPU 34 (McDonald 9). Blocks -- T 0, DPU 5 (Werntz 3). Assists -- T 16 (Moon, York 5), DPU 17 (Moore 10). Steals -- T 9 (Hill 3), DPU 5 (Brown 2). Total Fouls -- T 17, DPU 22. Fouled Out -- Oilar (DPU), Moon (T). Turnovers -- T 7, DPU 19.