UR Men’s Basketball team fell in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament to Amherst College 75–67, ending the team’s season. On the previous day, the team had successfully beaten Farmingdale State College 85–68. Four players finished the game in double figures. Senior guard Ryan Clamage led the way with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
This performance came soon after Clamage was named UAA Player of the Year. Along with this honor, Clamage was also named First Team All-UAA and was joined by fellow senior guard Jacob Wittig. Senior forward Andrew Lundstrom received Honorable Mention All-UAA honors.
The team performed well from behind the arc in the win, with 48 of its 85 points coming from a 59 percent shooting from three. Junior forward Patrick Benka led the way with six triples. Though it is not their style, Benka mentioned that “when our defense lacked, it seemed like we would come down and hit a three.”
The team started the game hot with an 8–0 run but Farmingdale St. responded quickly by scoring 12 of the next 17 points. With eight minutes left in the first half, Farmingdale St. took their first lead of the game with a score of 29–27. The half ended with UR up 46–38. Farmingdale St. never regained the lead in the second half as UR finished the game up by 17 and advanced to the second round of the tournament.
The following day, the team faced Amherst College at the Palestra. A major difference was the three point shooting percentage. While the UR team really excelled in the first game, shooting 16 for 27, they did not match that effort against Amherst, shooting 7 for 25 from behind the arc. Leading scorers Clamage and Wittig were each held to eight and six points respectively. The two of them shot a collective 6–20 on the day.
The UR team never held the lead in the game, always trailing after the first minute. UR ended the first half down 38–30, with Clamage at zero shot attempts. The team got going in the beginning of the second half, bringing the score difference to one point five minutes in.. UR kept it close for the next few minutes, but. with eight minutes left in the game, Amherst gained a two-possession lead that it would maintain, knocking UR out of the tournament.
The ‘Jackets had a strong season, finishing 21–six overall. Six seniors are leaving the program, two of them, Clamage and Wittig, being 1,000 point scorers in their career. Benka, the only rising senior, will have to step up in the leadership department to help the younger guys.
