Release courtesy of Swarthmore Athletic Communications
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Seventh-ranked Swarthmore advanced to the Final Four in dramatic fashion after a game-winning layup from Michael Caprise in the final seconds to stun Nichols College, 78-77, in a wild finish on Saturday night.
The Garnet advance to the Final Four for the second time (also in 2019) and become the sixth Centennial team to reach the national semifinals. Swarthmore (28-3) will meet Christopher Newport (28-3) in Thursday's first semifinal at 5:30 p.m. in Fort Wayne, Ind. The matchup will be a rematch of the 2019 semifinal when the Garnet defeated the Captains 70-63.
Colin Shaw fed the ball to Caprise off a baseline inbounds pass with nine seconds remaining. The big man posted up his defender and bounced a hook shot off the back rim and into the bucket to take the lead. The Garnet then shutdown the Bison on the ensuing possession and did not allow Nichols to attempt a shot as the clock expired. The Swarthmore home crowd stormed the court as the program celebrates another trip back to the Final Four.
George Visconti led the way with 23 points for the Garnet, which included 15 second half points. The senior set up Caprise's game-winning shot with a pivotal three-pointer in the final minute of play to bring the Garnet within one point. Visconti provided big bucket after big bucket as he willed the Garnet back into the game after the team trailed by double-digit points with eight minutes left in regulation.
After being held scoreless in the opening half, Vinny DeAngelo refused to hang his head as he went off for 15 points in the second half. The junior hit one of the biggest buckets of the game with a pull up three-pointer as the team trailed by six points with 1:15 left.
Shaw provided another gritty performance for the Garnet as he continued to step up in a major way for the squad during their postseason run. The senior was huge for the Garnet early in the game as the team struggled to find rhythm in the opening half. Shaw tallied three triples in the opening stanza, while banking in his fourth three of the night in the second half.
Shaw joined Caprise and George Corzine in double figures with 12 points. Caprise and Corzine gave the Bison defense more than they could handle in a pair of physical performances down low. Corzine put together another double digit performance off the bench and led the Garnet in scoring during a slow opening half.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams went back-and-forth in a physical battle to open the first half. After the Bison opened with a 7-2 run, Shaw brought the Garnet closer with a three-pointer at the 17:42 mark. Swarthmore later tied the game on back-to-back buckets from Caprise and Corzine, 11-11.
- After a Nichols three-pointer, Shaw answered back with another triple to tie the game. The Garnet then took the lead on the following possession with a Corzine offensive rebound and putback, 16-14.
- The Bison distanced themselves from the Garnet with a 13-4 run midway through the opening half. Nichols used their physicality and fast play to their advantage as they attacked Swarthmore in the painted area. The Bison expanded their lead to nine points with 6:02 left.
- Shaw gave the Garnet some momentum with his third triple of the half. Corzine then played bully ball down low and muscled a tough two points in the post, 37-33. The layup marked the big man's 10th point of the half as he played essential role off the bench.
- Nichols went into intermission with a 44-37 advantage after a late layup put them up seven points. The Garnet struggled from behind the arc in the opening stanza as they shot just 3-for-10 from deep with all three triples coming from Shaw. Nichols attempted just five threes in the opening 20-minutes as they outscored the Garnet 32-22 in the paint.
- DeAngelo cut through the lane for his first points of the game at the 16:26 mark. Cal Hanson then hit a jumper in the paint, while Visconti connected from deep to bring Swarthmore within five points, 53-48.
- DeAngelo drained a corner three-pointer off an inbounds pass from Visconti to bring Swarthmore within one score with 11:00 left, 58-55. However, the Bisons quickly answered with eight-unanswered points to build their lead back to 11 points.
- Shaw banked in a three-pointer to cut the team's deficit to eight points with 8:35 left. DeAngelo then cashed in on a three-point play after finishing at the basket with an acrobatic driving-layup to electrify the crowd. The Centennial Conference Player of the Year then connected from the line to put Swarthmore within five points, 68-63.
- Visconti hit from three-point range and then added a layup on the following possession to shrink the team's deficit to four points with 2:47 left. Following a layup from the Bisons, DeAngelo knocked down a pull-up three-pointer to make it a one-possession game, 74-71.
- Visconti set the crowd into a frenzy with a clutch three-pointer with 49 seconds remaining to pull the Garnet within one point. Swarthmore's defense then forced a shot clock violation at the other end to get the ball with a chance to win the game. With the game hanging in the balance, Shaw fed the ball to Caprise off an inbounds play to set up a game-winning hook shot from the big man. Swarthmore's defense then stifled the Bison at the other end to secure the dramatic comeback win.
GARNET LEADERS
Points: Visconti 23, DeAngelo 15
Assists: Visconti 6
Rebounds: Shaw 8
Threes: Shaw 4
Steals: DeAngelo 3
UP NEXT
The Garnet (28-3) advance to the Final Four to play Christopher Newport University in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Thursday night.