NKU knocks off Virginia Union in final seconds, advances to NCAA Division II national championship game
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NKU’s Paul Cluxton, LaRon Moore, Andre McClendon and Ken Shields after defeating Virginia Union. ---------------- |
(This story was originally published in The Kentucky Post on March 22, 1996)
By Tom Gamble
Kentucky Post sports editor
LOUISVILLE — After spending more than three decades on the sideline and winning almost 600 career games, Northern Kentucky University basketball coach Ken Shields can sense when a team has what it takes to win.
And Shields has that feeling.
One night after sophomore guard Andy Listerman scored a career-high 19 points, including the game-winning layup with 2.8 seconds left to give NKU a 56-55 win over Cal State Bakersfield, the Norse found another way to win.
As a result, NKU, making only its third NCAA Tournament appearance in the program’s 25-year history, is one victory away from winning the school's first national championship in any sport.
To do so, though, the Norse (25-6) will have to get past Fort Hays State (33-0), the No. 1-ranked team in the Division II national poll, and a 76-56 winner over California (Pa.) in Thursday’s other semifinal.
Tipoff for the national championship is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be televised by CBS.
The prospect of having to knock of another national heavyweight doesn't bother the Norse, who have defeated No. 12 Northern State (S.D.), No. 4 Southern Indiana, No. 6 Cal State Bakersfield and No. 2 Virginia Union in the NCAA Tournament.
Those last three schools have combined to win the last four national championships — Virginia Union in 1992, Cal State Bakersfield in 1993 and 1994, and Southern Indiana in 1995.
“It’s going to take an unbelievable team effort to beat Fort Hays State, but on the other hand we've done this three straight times,” said Shields. “And that’s a pretty good task in itself.
“The difference between winning and losing is such a fine line. We could have very easily been out of here last night and again tonight. But championship teams know how to get to the next level. They know how to win close games.”
This NKU team certainly does.
Against Virginia Union, which leads the nation in field-goal percentage defense by limiting the opposition to just 36.6 percent shooting through a myriad of zone defenses, the Norse again relied on their perimeter shooting.
Namely junior forward Paul Cluxton, who entered the Elite Eight one of the nation's hottest shooters after averaging 6.3 3-point goals a game during February. He scored a career-high 33 against Southern Indiana in the Great Lakes Regional final.
Cluxton, after being held to just five points on 2-of-7 shooting against Cal State Bakersfield, returned to form against Virginia Union, finishing with 20 points, including six 3-pointers while working predominately against a zone defense.
“I just had to step out a couple more feet (because of the zone),” said Cluxton, who snapped a 61-61 tie with just more than two minutes remaining with a trey from well beyond the top of the key. “LaRon (Moore) told me to go out there tonight and fire it up. And, I’m always going to shoot it if I get any kind of a look.”
But, it was Moore's game-winning shot — which he lofted over the outstretched arms of 6-foot-9 All-America center Ben Wallace — that had everyone talking after the game. Like Cluxton, Moore also responded after struggling offensively against Cal State Bakersfield.
Moore, NKU's leading scorer averaging 18.2 points, also had just five points a night earlier. And, like Cluxton, he came back to score 20 — 12 of those coming in the first half when NKU built a 12-point lead.
“Everybody has to step up, and I felt like it was my turn tonight,” said Moore, who also had a team-high 11 rebounds. “As for my last shot, it was just a turnaround jumper. It was probably luck.”
Whatever it was, it was good enough to leave a lasting impression on Virginia Union coach Dave Robbins, whose teams have made 13 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He was impressed with NKU at both ends of the floor.
“I can't say enough about their team,” said Robbins. “It (the loss) wasn't because of anything other than their ability, not our lack of ability. They just shoot some NBA-range threes, and there’s not a whole lot of defense against it.
“And (Moore) just turned and stuck a big-time shot. I don’t think anybody was out of position. It was just a great shot on their part. And, it seemed like they hit every shot all night.”
On other other hand, Virginia Union (28-3) struggled shooting all night, making just 25 of 61 shots after hitting 51 percent of its shots in its quarterfinal win over College of St. Rose.
A long 3-point attempt by Virginia Union's Thomas Meredith fell short in the final seconds, and NKU was in the title game.
“I remember my first years here. Nobody had this kind of mindset, this type of winning attitude,” said senior forward Andre McClendon, referring to the school's five straight losing season from 1989-90 through 1993-94. “But we believe we can win now.”
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NCAA Division II Elite Eight (at Louisville, Ky.)
AT COMMONWEALTH CONVENTION CENTER,
WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS
QUARTERFINALS
California, Pa., 95, Alabama A&M 85
Fort Hays St. 71, North Alabama 68
Virginia Union 99, St. Rose, N.Y., 72
NKU 56, Cal State Bakersfield 55
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THURSDAY'S RESULTS
SEMIFINALS
Fort Hays State 76, California, Pa. 56
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 68, Virginia Union 66
_____________________
SATURDAY'S GAME
CHAMPIONSHIP
Fort Hays State (33-0) vs. NORTHERN KENTUCKY (25-6), 12:30 p.m.
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