tagarelli
Eric Katz
75
Rockhurst RU 14-10, 8-8 GLVC
76
Winner Quincy QU 22-5, 12-4 GLVC
Rockhurst RU
14-10, 8-8 GLVC
75
Final
76
Quincy QU
22-5, 12-4 GLVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Rockhurst RU 41 34 75
Quincy QU 29 47 76

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Brendan Bittner

Tagarelli's Buzzer Beater Finishes Wild Comeback

QUINCY, Ill. – Senior forward Joseph Tagarelli (Waunakee, Wis.) hit a leaning 10-footer at the buzzer that brought back memories of Duke's Christian Laettner as the Quincy University men's basketball team pulled out a 76-75 win over Rockhurst on Thursday (Feb. 16) night at Pepsi Arena in one of the wildest finishes QU fans will ever see.
 
Quincy (22-5, 12-4 GLVC) trailed for all but 56 seconds in the game and all of those came in the first two-plus minutes of the first half.
 
Tagarelli hit two free throws with 31 seconds remaining to cut QU's deficit to 74-70.

Connor Evans then inbounded the ball, but senior guard Von Washington III (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Central/Western Michigan) deflected the ball to senior guard Herm Senor II (Springfield, Ill./Southeast), who underhanded the ball to senior forward Evan McGaughey (Carthage, Ill./Illini West). The 6-foot-8 fifth-year player rose at the top of the arc and drilled a 3-pointer while getting fouled to put QU within 74-73. His free throw tied the game with 26 seconds left.
 
With a chance to win Evans drove and drew a foul with 2.1 seconds remaining. He hit the first free throw and rimmed out the second. McGaughey plucked the rebound and called timeout with 1.8 seconds to play.
 
That set up the Hawks' home run play as McGaughey fired a one-handed pass to Tagarelli, who leaped and caught it at the right elbow. He spun, took a dribble and leaned into the lane for a mini-hook that hit the square on the backboard and fell in, turning Pepsi Arena into a madhouse.
 
The officials looked at the replay monitor for more than 10 minutes before determining that the shot just left the Tagarelli's hand in time, sending the crowd into another frenzy.
 
Rockhurst was dominant in the first half, building a lead as large as 20, 39-19, with 3:58 to go before halftime. Quincy got back in the game by forcing one-and-outs, closing the half on a 10-2 run, capped by a buzzer-beating layup by McGaughey on a quick feed from Tagarelli.
 
Quincy got the lead down to four early in the second half, but Rockhurst pushed it back to 11 points, 70-59, with five minutes left.
 
QU then turned up the defense with a full-court press that forced two turnovers as the hosts went on a 9-0 run that was finished by Senor's 3-pointer with three minutes left to cut the deficit to 70-68.
 
Quincy then failed to score on its next four possessions as Rockhurst took a 74-68 lead that held until Tagarelli's free throws with 31 seconds remaining.
 
Tagarelli led Quincy with 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists while McGaughey recorded 12 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. Senior guard Grant Meyer (Sellersburg, Ind./Silver Creek) was outstanding with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers in 24 minutes. Senor came up with 11 points and sophomore wing Marcus Hinton (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central/Lindenwood) added nine points and five rebounds in just 15 minutes off the bench.
 
Malachi Nix led five Rockhust players in double figures with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Kaleb Warner added 15 points and Andrew Ellwanter scored 14 points.
 
Both teams shot 47 percent from the floor, but Quincy had a 36-27 edge on the glass. QU allowed just three offensive rebounds and led in second chance points, 10-0.
 
QU will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday (Feb. 18) at Pepsi Arena against William Jewell. Senior Day festivities will take place immediately following the women's game. The Hawks will also honor the 2017 QU Sports Hall of Fame class – the 1954-55 men's basketball team and former women's soccer coach, Dr. Bill Postiglione, at halftime.
 
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