DAVENPORT –Keenan Stanbridge (Jr.-Quincy, Ill.) tied the school record for three-point baskets in a game for the second time this season, but Iowa Wesleyan College ran out of comebacks and lost to St. Ambrose University 83-81 in overtime Wednesday night in Lee Lohman Arena.
Stanbridge canned eight three-pointers on his way to a career high 30 points, and the Tigers came back from a seven-point deficit late in regulation to force overtime. IWC was unable to surmount another seven-point deficit in overtime, though, as a final shot before the buzzer came up short and the Tigers dropped to 3-1 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference (7-8 overall).
Neither team led by more than seven points in a game that included 12 lead changes and eight ties. Eleven of the lead changes came in the first half, when the Tigers had the final surge and took a 38-36 lead into intermission. The Fighting Bees scored the first eight points of the second half, though, and would never trail the rest of the game. IWC tied the score on four occasions in the second half and overtime but never got ahead as SAU shot 17-30 (56.7%) in the final 25 minutes.
St. Ambrose looked to have the game in control down the stretch, leading 72-65 after a jumper by Reggie Shipp with 2:28 left. Wesleyan battled back, though, with two free throws from Brett Humpal (Sr.-Decorah, Iowa) and a three-pointer from Stanbridge. Humpal’s jumper with 36 seconds left tied it, and SAU’s final shot missed, sending the game to overtime.
Given new life, the Tigers were unable to capitalize. The Bees out-scored IWC 9-2 to start the overtime, taking an 81-74 lead with 2:32 left in the extra session. Iowa Wesleyan came back one more time, getting within one on a jumper by Stanbridge with 36 second left. Shipp made one of two free throws with 16 seconds left, but Humpal’s heavily contested jumper just before the buzzer missed.
Humpal posted 16 points and added 12 rebounds and seven assists, and Matt Lafrenz (Sr.-Bennett, Iowa) made all five of his shots and scored 12 points. IWC shot 29 of 61 from the floor (47.5%) and made 11 of 28 three-point tries (39.3%). Stanbridge hit eight triples for the second time this year, the first coming Nov. 15 at Dana (Neb.) College.
The Bees had five players score in double figures, led by Shipp with 18 points. SAU shot 47.7% for the game (31-for-65) and had just nine turnovers to 16 for Wesleyan. St. Ambrose improved to 2-2 in the MCC and 7-9 overall and picked up its second straight overtime win in the series against IWC. The Bees also defeated Wesleyan 88-87 in double-overtime at the end of last season in the MCC Tournament quarterfinals.
The Tigers are now tied for the top spot in the conference with William Penn and Mount Mercy, both of which also have one loss. IWC next will face Mount Mercy at home on Saturday at 3 p.m.
For more information regarding the IWC basketball programs or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
