Grove City’s men’s team falls to Carnegie-Mellon, 72-61

The game was a quarterfinal in the ECAC tournament.

PITTSBURGH -- The Grove City College men’s basketball team wrapped up the 2007-08 season Wednesday night with a 72-61 setback against second-seeded Carnegie Mellon (17-9) in the quarterfinal round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Southern Championship Tournament at Skibo Gymnasium.

Grove City, the tournament’s No. 7 seed, finishes the season with a 17-11 record.

Grove City trailed 37-23 at halftime but stormed back to take a 43-41 lead by virtue of a 20-4 run. Sophomore center Andy O’Keefe ignited the run with a three-point play while senior guard Shawn Carr (New Castle, Pa./Mohawk) fired in a three-pointer moments later.

After a three from senior guard Joe Capotosta cut CMU’s lead to single digits, junior Ryan Gibson recorded a three-point play. Carr then gave Grove City a short-lived 43-41 lead with 14:43 left by hitting a three-pointer.

Carnegie Mellon countered with a 9-0 spurt of its own to take the lead for good. The Wolverines closed to within 64-57 on a three-point play by senior guard Ryan Gerber with 2:44 remaining. However, Grove City could draw no closer down the stretch.

Carr led Grove City with 17 points while O’Keefe added 14. Gerber poured in 11 points and added a team-high four steals.

Senior forward Bobby Turner (New Castle, Pa./Laurel) pulled in a team-leading seven rebounds. Gibson had five assists. Grove City committed 11 turnovers, including just four in the second half.

Ryan Einwag led Carnegie Mellon with 21 points. Geoff Kozak fired in 15 points while center Greg Gonzalez recorded a 13-point, 19-rebound double-double. CMU out-rebounded Grove City, 55-30.