Elmhurst University men’s basketball team slam dunks into sweet 16

Rallying from a 17-point deficit, the Elmhurst University men’s basketball team “stayed together” and defeated Pomona-Pitzer to claim a Sweet 16 spot in the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship for the third time in school history.

On March 4-5, the Bluejays hosted the first and second rounds of the 2022 NCAA tournament at R.A. Faganel Hall. During the first round, EU defeated Washington & Jefferson College by a huge 25-point difference, but unlike the Bluejay’s first opponent, Pomona-Pitzer rose to the occasion.

Shooting 1-of-13 from the 3-point range, EU came out of the locker room cold and sluggish in comparison to Friday night’s game. The Bluejays struggled to catch fire and Pomona-Pitzer quickly took advantage of the opportunity.

EU wasn’t hitting like they normally do, but they understood the need to keep their composure.

“It was just about staying together no matter what the situation is,” said Lavon Thomas, EU senior stretch forward.

A once-tied game changed in six minutes as the Sagehens went on a 17–3 run. Not giving the Bluejays any time to breathe, the opposing team kept pushing the envelope, extending the lead by 17 points.

The Bluejays walked into the locker room down 26–40 at halftime. The rowdy student section had gone silent, family members released exasperation into the air, and the only sound made was the growing excitement of Pomona-Pitzer fans.

“During halftime, Coach Baines gave us a story on how he was down at half when he was playing the NCAA tournament and won against IWU,” said Thomas. “That really stuck with us.”

Suddenly, everything changed. The Bluejays caught fire; the rally finally began.

EU came out of the locker room hot after an intense halftime speech and a much-needed shoot-around. 

The Bluejays started the second half on a 7–0 run that brought the deficit down to seven points. With 17 minutes left, Pomona-Pitzer hoped to answer, but they had their mind made up, and no one was getting in the way.

EU responded with an 18–2 run, finally securing their first lead of the game.

Back-to-back three pointers from Jake Rhode and clutch buckets from Dominic Genco woke up the crowd and sparked a match for the team. The energy was back and spreading like wildfire throughout the gym.

“I was scared the team wasn’t gonna come back and win,” said Derrick McCollum Jr., a local Bluejay fan. “We stayed true fans and supported them in the second half.”

Pomona-Pitzer players were yelling back at the EU student section. The Sagehens were falling victim to forced turnovers by the Bluejays, and the net got bigger and bigger for EU scorers.

From Jonathan Zapinski’s blocked shots, easy three-pointers from Ocean Johnson, sound defense from Wesley Hooker, and effortless assists from Rhode to Thomas, the Bluejays turned the game around destroying the spirit of Pomona-Pitzer.

“It’s March, anything can happen. I feel like everyone did what they had to do to win,” said Thomas. “If we play like we have, we can compete with anyone in the country.” Thomas finished with 13 points.

With a final score of 76–70, the EU men’s basketball team is now Sweet 16 bound. The Bluejays will face Calvin College on March 11, at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.