UW-Superior 78, North Central 77
SUPERIOR, Wis. (February 17, 2018) – It was a Senior Day to remember in Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium as Shaq Coleman (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) hit the game-winning layup with 5.3 seconds remaining to take a win for North Central University. The two seniors Coleman and Nate Kalien (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls) finished with 27 and 21 points respectively.
The Yellowjackets jumped out to a 4-2 lead after Vid Milenkovic (Zurich, Switzerland/DSB Belgrade, Serbia) and Montroy Scott (Fridley, Minn./Columbia Heights) each had a layup in the paint; Scott then extend to 5-2 after an and-one free throw make. Kalien got the first 3-pointer on the board in the following possession, assisted by Scott, to make it 8-5 'Jackets.
The Rams would take the lead at 10-8 around 17:35 of the half, but it was Kalien again from three to get a one-point lead. A few missed baskets from each team continued the first half, but Coleman and Kalien would hit from the paint and then from deep to get the lead back to 16-14 'Jackets.
North Central would open the game up to 27-20 around the 10:19 mark; Coleman stopped the bleeding with a layup at 10:03, sparking a 'Jacket run that included five points from Milenkovic, including a smooth 3-pointer to make it 27-27.
A drought would strike for both teams, but they kept it close heading into the final minutes of the first. Milenkovic added another 3-pointer at 4:54, and then Colton Williams (Columbia Heights, Minn. /Columbia Heights) a layup to get a 35-34 'Jacket lead. Milenkovic and Coleman would hit a few more buckets to knot the game at 41 heading into halftime.
Kalien started the second half the same way he started the first, with a 3-pointer, his fifth of the game at 18:53. Coleman then scored four-straight points, while Williams added a free throw to get a three-point Superior lead, 50-47. Kalien hit another 3-ponter at 13:43, assisted by Scott to get the lead out to seven points, and then Coleman would hit four-straight free throws to hold the lead 66-64 with 8:01 remaining.
Milenkovic added a key layup at the five-minute mark to get the lead back 70-69, but the teams would continue to trade leads and ties heading down the stretch.
It was Coleman's time in the final two minutes; he was able to hit his signature 2-point jumper at 1:46, but the Rams secured the lead 77-76 at 1:23. Then came a stretch of two offensive rebounds for the 'Jackets as Milenkovic and Kalien secured the ball with 22 seconds left in regulation.
It came down to Coleman after a Yellowjacket timeout. He secured the ball on the left side of the three-point arch, fought his way to the cup, and drained the tough layup with 5.3 remaining.
The Rams would put up one last effort but no dice. It was the final Yellowjacket win of the 2017-18 campaign.
Coleman's 27 points led all scorers. Milenkovic was also in the 20-point club with 21 and eight rebounds. Kalien was hot from long range, going 6-of-10 from deep for 18 of his 20 points. Scott also had a solid night, scoring seven and dropping five dimes.
The Yellowjackets will have to wait until next season to return to the hardwood, as they placed seventh in UMAC, two spots out of playoff range.
