BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College men's basketball fans got a show from senior Lyle Tipton on Tuesday night inside Metheny Fieldhouse, but unfortunately his performance came in a losing effort as the Golden Tornadoes were knocked out of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) playoffs by Thiel, 99-84. Despite Tipton's heroics in scoring 46 points, Geneva had no answers defensively to slow down the Tomcat offense, who advanced to the PAC Semifinals where Thiel (13-11) will face Allegheny. Geneva (17-9) will wait to see if its season continues with a bid to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Tournament.
The overall tenor of the game was established early. It was clear from the beginning that Tipton was locked in, but it also became evident the Golden Tornadoes were struggling to find answers defensively. Thiel opened the game with a bucket before Tipton drained a three-pointer. In fact, Tipton scored the first seven Geneva points before senior Isaac Massie knocked down a three-pointer to pull the Golden Tornadoes level, 10-10, just four minutes into the game.
Geneva's last lead of the game came nine minutes in when freshman Jonathan Bertovich hit a three-pointer to give the Golden Tornadoes a slim 20-19 edge. A layup from junior Ryan Rachic pulled Geneva within 25-24 two minutes later, but three straight three-pointers from the Tomcats gave Thiel a double-digit lead, 34-24. The Golden Tornadoes managed to close within five late, but Thiel's Elijah Harden banked in a 40-foot shot at the buzzer to give the Tomcats a 47-37 edge at the break. Tipton had 19 points in the half.
The Golden Tornadoes came out well in the second half, with a Tipton three-pointer and a Tipton layup, followed by a bucket from Rachic, pulling Geneva within 51-47. However, the Golden Tornadoes could never solve the Thiel offense, with the Tomcats answering every run by Geneva. Over the next four minutes, Thiel answered with a 14-5 run to give the Tomcats a 65-52 lead with 12 minutes remaining.
The Thiel lead would rise as high as 15 points, 73-58, three minutes later. Geneva, led primarily by Tipton, kept scoring, but could never make up much ground without defensive stops. Another three-pointer from Tipton pulled Geneva within 77-70 with six minutes left, and a minute later, a three-pointer from sophomore Trevor Tipton got the Golden Tornadoes with 79-74. Geneva just could never get the stops it needed to make a comeback, though, and the Tomcats closed out the game without allowing the Golden Tornadoes back into things, 99-84.
Tipton's 46 points were a career high, tied for the fifth-highest total in a single game in school history. He made 14-of-26 shots from the floor, 8-of-15 from three-point range, and 10-of-10 from the foul line. The eight three-pointers were one off of a school record as well. Rachic added 15 points and Massie 10 points for the Golden Tornadoes, who shot just 39% from the floor, 13-of-34 (38%) from three-point range.
Thiel shot 51% from the floor, and when the Tomcats missed, they often were able to grab the offensive rebound. Thiel won the battle of the boards, 49-31, including 16 offensive rebounds, which led to 21 second-chance points. The Tomcats also hit 6-of-13 (46%) from deep. Elijah Harden led four Thiel players in double figures with 26 points.
"All credit goes to Thiel tonight," said Head Coach Jeff Santarsiero. "I have a lot of respect for Thiel and Coach Loomis. They came ready to play. They shot the ball better than they have for most of the year. Lyle had a tremendous game, but we didn't get enough balance from the rest of the guys. We couldn't get stops, and the few times they did miss, it felt like they always got the rebound. They outplayed us and beat us inside, which we knew could be a problem. So it's a very disappointing result.
"As far as our seniors Nick, Isaac and Lyle, they are a really special group. I don't know if this is it for them, but if it is, they've been so good for us. What they've done for this program over the last four years, I just won't be able to ever express my gratitude fully to those guys. I'm sad for them, but their impact will be felt for years to come."
The men will now wait to see if they will receive a bid to the NCCAA Tournament, which won't be decided for almost two weeks. If that does not occur, the loss will bring an end to the season for the Golden Tornadoes.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
