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Davenport University Athletics

DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY PANTHERS
Nick Gamble
56
Aquinas AQM 21-11
67
Winner Davenport DUMB 28-4
Aquinas AQM
21-11
56
Final
67
Davenport DUMB
28-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Aquinas AQM 24 32 56
Davenport DUMB 19 48 67

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Panthers Use Big Second Half to Propel themselves into WHAC Tournament Final

DU beat Aquinas 67-56 and shot 63.6 percent in the second half

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The first 20 minutes of Saturday's WHAC Tournament semifinal between Davenport and Aquinas looked like a game played in the 1950's with a 24-19 halftime score in favor of the Saints. No. 3 Davenport had their lowest shooting half of the season making 7-of-26 (.269) from the floor including 1-of-9 behind the arc. The Panthers however turned up their defense and allowed Aquinas to shoot 33.3 percent and an identical 1-of-9 behind the arc.

You knew those numbers would not last long after halftime and the Panthers and Saints picked up the offense in the early minutes of the second half. Davenport made 11-of-14 from the floor and senior Dominez Burnett started a rally with three consecutive three-pointers which turned a two-point deficit into a five-point lead with 16:10 left in the contest. Nick Gamble made three straight baskets during a run for the Panthers and Burnett knocked down his fourth triple in a span of four minutes for a 44-38 lead.

Junior Kevin Rich extended the lead to 48-40 on a three-pointer in the corner off a pass from Wayne Bradford. The lead grew to 52-42 with 9:04 on the clock after a Wes Webbert bucket in the paint. The Panthers regained a double-digit lead with 5:48 left on a Webbert three from the top of the key and Aquinas never got within single digits again.

Burnett finished with 24 points to lead all scorers. He needs 16 more points in the tournament final against Cornerstone on Monday to become the all-time WHAC career scoring leader. He would also become the greatest scorer in the state of Michigan for a collegiate player. Burnett posted a double-double with 10 rebounds and finished 7-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free throw line.

Gamble finished with 10 points, five assists and four rebounds in 32 minutes. Rich added 11 points on 3-of-5 beyond the arc in 26 minutes. Bradford registered 10 points, two rebounds and two assists. Webbert scored 10 points off the bench and had three rebounds and a block in 19 minutes. DU scored 22 points in the paint and 14 points off turnovers.
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