2004 SCAC MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
FIRST ROUND

#2 ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 74, #7 RHODES COLLEGE 73
(Game Box)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Rose-Hulman's Jason Ludwig had a game-high 32 points, including the game-winner, to lead the Engineers' to an exciting 74-73 victory over Rhodes in the initial game of the 2004 SCAC Men's Basketball Tournament Friday afternoon at Rhodes College.

Ludwig hit on 11 of 12 shots from the field and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line and fell just two points short of tying the SCAC Tournament single-game scoring record. His 91.7% field goal percentage does establish a new single-game tournament record.

“That was what tournament basketball should be like,” said Rose-Hulman head coach Jim Shaw. “Rhodes played great. It was an extremely well played game, and a perfect example of why games are played on the court and not on paper.”

Rhodes, the No. 7 seed, gave second-seeded Rose-Hulman all it wanted and then some. The Lynx led 42-37 at the half in a game that had seven lead changes and was tied nine other times.

With the game tied at 71, Ludwig (left shown hitting game-winning shot) was fouled while knocking down a short jumper in the lane and his subsequent free throw made it a 74-71 game with 0:28 to play. After a Rhodes timeout, the Lynx got three looks a three-point shot, but could only manage a put-back by Matthew Jakes at the buzzer that gave Rose-Hulman the one-point victory.

For the Lynx, Rami Almfety had 26 points, six rebounds and four assists and Jakes followed with 21 points. Joey Daly fell just short of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Rhodes ends its season with a 9-14 record.

Brian Bibb was the only Engineer other than Ludwig in double-figures as he contributed 13 points. Munchie Muskeyvalley had seven points and a team-high six assists and Evan Ballinger had nine points. Kareem Lee tied the men's single-game tournament record with seven assists. The Engineers improved to 19-7 and play the winner of Centre and Oglethorpe Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rhodes College in the men's first semifinal game.