Cyclones Begin 2013 with a Buzzer Beating Loss

Coming off of winter break, the SCTCC Cyclones hit the hardwood again at the Central Lakes Winter Classic in Brainerd.  The first match-up put the Cyclones against NJCAA #3 ranked Vermillion Ironmen.  The last time these two teams met, the Ironmen pulled out an 8 point win.  SCTCC knew it was going to be a hard-fought game, and it turned out to be a heart breaker in the end.

The first half saw the Cyclones jump out to an early 20-8 lead with great ball movement and defensive intensity.  The Ironmen worked their way back into the game forcing 11 first half turnovers, and converting many of the Cyclone mistakes into baskets.  The first half ended with the Ironmen taking a slim lead at 37-36.  The Cyclones were lead by starting guard trio of Riley West (8 points), Jett Leaf (8 points) and Jared Noonan (7 points). 

The second half was much of the same, SCTCC and VCC played a closely contested game.  The Cyclones would tie the game up late, and have to play the final 30.7 seconds on the defensive end as Vermillion held the ball for the last shot.  VCC went to a ball screen on the wing, in which the Cyclones covered very well.  The Ironmen's Derek Meger caught the ball on the baseline and drove towards the basket throwing up a runner as time expired.  The ball caught the front of the rim and rattled in sending the Cyclones to a 79-77 loss.

SCTCC was lead by Jared Noonan (Richfield, MN) with 19 points and 8 rebounds.  Jett Leaf (Howard Lake, MN) added 14 points and 6 rebounds.  Riley West (Lakeville, MN) finished with 12 points, 6 assists.  Alex Matchinsky 10 pts, 5 rebs - Leland Harris 10 pts - Zach Jiskra 6 pts - Nate Vang 4 pts, 5 rebs - Brandon Marek 2 pts.

SCTCC will play Central Lakes College Saturday at 4:00 pm in Brainerd.
Game Stats vs Vermillion