DePauw's second-half rally wasn't enough to take over Centre College Sunday as the Tigers fell 75-63 in the title game of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament. DePauw finished the season and final year in the conference with an overall record of 19-9 and a mark of 12-4 in SCAC play.
Centre took the early lead and went up by as much as 17 in the first half. DePauw trailed 34-18 at the break but trimmed the margin to 3 points midway through the second half. Centre players Greg Ross and Bryon Ellis answered on consecutive trips down the floor, as Centre pushed the lead back to double digits. DePauw was unable to complete the comeback, and Centre held on to earn its third-straight conference championship and the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Div. III Championship.
Ross led all scorers with 23 points, while Alex Lloyd added 16 points and 13 rebounds. All five of Centre's starters notched double-digit scoring, and the team held a 29-21 advantage on the boards. As a team, Centre shot 55.8 percent from the field, and connected on 7-of-12 from three-point range.
Junior Sean Haseley recorded a double-double for DePauw, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Senior Ryan Sever scored 14 points, while fellow senior Steve Lemasters added nine.
Haseley and Sever were both named to the all-tournament team, while head coach Bill Fenlon was selected as the conference's Coach of the Year.
Watch thedepauw.com tomorrow for more in-depth coverage of the 2011 SCAC men's and women's basketball championships.