WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The Geneva College men's basketball team had to wrap up its season on Saturday without two of its key players after seniors Isaac Massie and Lyle Tipton came down ill, and #2-seed Fort Lauderdale was too much for the short-handed Golden Tornadoes, winning 95-57, in the third-place game at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Tournament. Geneva wraps up its season with an 18-11 record.
Fort Lauderdale presented a level of athleticism that Geneva rarely sees, with the Eagles boasting several NCAA Division I and Division II transfers. Despite that, the Golden Tornadoes hung with Fort Lauderdale early with good outside shooting, led by sophomore Trevor Tipton.
Junior Payton Triplett knocked down a triple in the opening minutes to give Geneva a 3-2 lead, and after an Eagle basket, Tipton hit a three-pointer, followed by a bucket from junior Ryan Rachic, extending the Golden Tornado lead to 8-4.
The Fort Lauderdale full-court pressure gave Geneva some issues, though, and the Eagles responded with a 13-3 run take a 17-11 advantage. The Golden Tornadoes would answer with a quick burst, capped off by a three-pointer from freshman Nick Million, giving Geneva the lead back, 22-21, midway through the first half.
Geneva couldn't keep pace with the athletic Eagles, though, especially when Fort Lauderdale started making long range shots, which had not been a strength of the team all year. Tipton tried to keep the Golden Tornadoes in it, but the Eagles pulled away over the final nine minutes of the half to take a 52-36 lead into the break. Tipton led Geneva with 20 points on 6-of-6 shooting from deep.
Fort Lauderdale pulled away in the second half, as Geneva used the opportunity to get a number of reserves extended playing time. The Eagles continued to full-court press for most of the half and raced their way to a 95-57 victory.
Tipton led the team with 22 points, while Triplett added 10 points. After shooting 10-of-16 from deep in the first half, Geneva missed all 12 of its long-range shots in the second half. The Eagles' full-court pressure forced 28 Golden Tornado turnovers, leading to 37 points. Fort Lauderdale also had the edge on the board, 49-35. Sophomore Mark Rachic pulled down a team-high ten rebounds for Geneva.
"Fort Lauderdale is one of the most athletic teams we've ever faced since I've been at Geneva," said Head Coach Jeff Santarsiero. "They would have been tough to handle if even were at full strength, but without Lyle and Isaac, we were really in a tough spot. That said, I was proud of our fight. Trevor tried to keep us in it for a while, but when they started hitting shots, which is something they had struggled with for most of the year, we just couldn't keep up. This has been such a fun group to coach all year, though, and this isn't going to dampen what was these guys did this season."
Geneva will head home with a fourth-place finish at the NCCAA Tournament. Trevor Tipton was named to the all-tournament team for his performance over three games.
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).
