Western Oregon shocked the tournament field, ousting top-ranked Saint Martin’s with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to knock the Saints out of the GNAC Tournament.
The Saints struggled to find the form that carried them through the regular season against a determined and efficient Western Oregon team. The Wolves came out firing, knocking down basket after basket while pairing their offensive attack with a strong defensive performance that kept the Saints on their heels throughout the first half.
Saint Martin’s managed to fight back from an early deficit, but Western Oregon answered each time, matching the Saints basket for basket and carrying the momentum into halftime.
The second half continued to go the Wolves’ way as their lead grew to as many as 14 points. The Saints refused to go away, cutting the deficit to three with nine minutes remaining, only to see Western Oregon push its advantage back into double digits.
With their season hanging in the balance, the Saints mounted one final rally. A 13-2 run allowed Saint Martin’s to erase the deficit and take the lead with just seconds remaining. But Western Oregon had the final answer, knocking down a dramatic 3-pointer at the buzzer to seal the upset and send the top-ranked Saints home.
