The Schwartz is with them.
For the second time in three days, Team Colorado rallied from a late deficit in dramatic fashion, and once again it was Colorado Springs native D’Shawn Schwartz who hit the win-clinching shot, as the squad led by former Buffaloes basketball standouts survived with an 84-81 victory against Mass Street in the Sweet 16 of The Basketball Tournament on Wednesday night in Wichita.
Fifth-seeded Team Colorado moves on to the Elite Eight of the $1 million, winner-take-all TBT with a matchup against the Houston alums of Forever Coogs on Tuesday in Houston (7 p.m. MT, Fox Sports 2). The quarterfinal matchup essentially will be a fourth consecutive road atmosphere for Team Colorado, which defeated Purple Reign (Kansas State) in the first round before topping the Wichita State alums of Aftershocks on Monday.
As was the case during Monday’s win against Aftershocks, Team Colorado fell behind by 11 points, this time in the fourth quarter, before rallying. Team Colorado managed to trim the 11-point deficit to 76-69 when the Elam Ending went into effect, setting the winning point total at 84.
(In the Elam Ending, the game clock is turned off at the first dead ball under the 4-minute mark of regulation, with a target winning score set eight points ahead of the winning team’s score.)
After scoring the final four points before the Elam Ending, the former Buffs promptly reeled off an 11-2 run, taking an 80-78 lead.
Mass Street, a squad of Kanas alums, received 25 points from Frank Mason III, and his three free throws while getting fouled from long range pushed Mass Street back into an 81-80 lead. Team Colorado’s Josh Adams, who enjoyed a solid bounce-back game after struggling through the first two rounds, lifted Colorado back into the lead with two free throws, and Mass Street began hunting, and missing, 3-pointers in hopes of landing the winner.
Like Monday, Schwartz’s winner was set up off an offensive rebound. This time, he pump-faked a 3-pointer before dropping in a running, arcing floater from just inside the free throw line.
Team Colorado led 47-39 at halftime, but Mass Street went 7-for-7 on 3-pointers during the third quarter while outscoring the former Buffs 29-15. Yet once again Team Colorado didn’t flinch, erasing another 11-point deficit while winning a third consecutive TBT game in what essentially were all road atmospheres.
Adams led Team Colorado in scoring with 21 points, while Andre Roberson posted a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Schwartz went 6-for-9 from the field and 4-for-4 at the free throw line, finishing with 19 points, while former Cherokee Trail star Jaizec Lottie continued his strong play off the bench, going 7-for-11 with 16 points, three assists and three rebounds.
Team Colorado shot .508 overall (31-for-61) while holding Mass Street to a .433 mark. The former Jayhawks went 7-for-7 from long range in the third quarter but went 4-for-21 (.190) on 3-pointers the rest of the time. Team Colorado has outrebounded all three of its TBT foes, posting a 46-23 advantage on the glass on Wednesday.
