Last-Second Loss Stings Big Green

Tuesday, November 16

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

0-2

UNH

2-0

New Hampshire

Dartmouth

11/16/2010 8:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. — Dane DiLiegro was in the right place at the right time, grabbing an offensive rebound and gently putting the ball through the hoop with 1.5 seconds left as everyone around him watched to lift visiting New Hampshire to a 55-53 victory over Dartmouth on Tuesday night at Leede Arena. The Wildcats trailed by as many as 17 early in the second half, but a 14-0 run allowed UNH (2-0) to get back in the game and eventually squeak out the win over the frustrated Big Green (0-2).

Dartmouth dominated the first half, shooting 59.3 percent (16-of-27) while holding the Wildcats to a paltry 23.3 percent (7-of-30) to build a 34-19 advantage at the break. But those trends reversed somewhat over the final 20 minutes as the Big Green hit just 7-of-26 (.269) in the second stanza as New Hampshire canned 14-of-32 (.438).

With the score tied at 53, New Hampshire inbounded the ball with a differential of about three seconds between the shot clock and the game clock. Ferg Myrick drove toward the hoop and took a shot at about the time the shot clock went off, and most of the players assumed the ball was dead. But DiLiegro continued to play and sack the putback after the ball rolled off the rim. The three referees conferred before allowing the bucket to stand, setting off Dartmouth head coach Paul Cormier, whose words went to no avail.

The game clock, that had wound down to 0.3 seconds, was reset to 1.5 with Dartmouth needing to go the length of the floor. The inbounds pass went to senior center Clive Weeden near midcourt, and his desperation heave would not have counted anyway as it left his hand too late.

Tyrone Conley finished the evening with 18 points for UNH, going 8-of-19 from the floor, while DiLiegro posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds — the last board being the most critical. Myrick also scored in double figures for the Wildcats with 10 points.

Big Green junior Jabari Trotter matched Conley with 18 points, his most since scoring 19 against Providence in his second collegiate game two years ago. Trotter was 7-of-14 from the floor with both Dartmouth three-pointers in the game. Senior Ronnie Dixon added 12 and Rufful 10, while the latter also led the team with seven rebounds.

In the opening half, the Dartmouth shooters blistered the net, particularly Trotter and Rufful as the duo combined to hit 9-of-11 from the floor. Trotter had 13 points while draining 6-of-8 while Rufful was perfect on his three attempts.

With the score at 10-9, the Green scored nine straight points as Trotter ripped the nets on a pair of jumpers to open up a 10-point lead. Dartmouth had a second nine-point run later in the half as Trotter rained a three from downtown and sophomore R.J. Griffin hit a soft 14-footer to make it 30-15. The two sides traded points until the horn sounded, leaving Dartmouth standing with a 34-19 bulge.

Trotter kept his hot hand early in the second half, converting two free throws before sinking his second triple to give Dartmouth its largest lead of the night at 40-23. But after freshman Tyler Melville hit a jumper in the lane 90 seconds later, New Hampshire ripped off 14 straight points while holding the Green scoreless for more than seven minutes. Myrick had six points during the run, and Jordon Bronner added five.

Still, Dartmouth held a two-point lead and held the advantage until Myrick knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:47 to play, tying the score at 51. About a minute later, Conley gave UNH the lead with a jumper before Rufful tied the game with a 10-footer in the lane, setting up DiLiegro's game-winning hoop.

After the Big Green grabbed 18 rebounds to the Wildcats' 17 in the opening half, UNH hit the boards hard and finished the night with 44-33 advantage on the glass. For the game, New Hampshire shot just 33.9 percent (21-of-62) while Dartmouth clipped the nets at a 43.4 percent rate (23-of-53).

Dartmouth takes to the road for the next two games, beginning with the Hartford Hawks in Connecticut on Friday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. New Hampshire returns to Durham to host Holy Cross on Saturday night at 7 p.m.