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When Sports Were Played: Tyler’s shot heard from Waynesburg to Kansas City

5 min read

In today’s “When Sports Were Played,” we revisit the game that started Waynesburg’s college basketball dynasty, the NAIA District 18 championship game against St. Vincent that was played March 4, 1981.

WAYNESBURG – The shot heard ’round Greene County wasn’t pretty, and it took what seemed like an eternity to climb over the front of the rim and into the basket.

But it’s that shot, a 12-foot jumper by sophomore Tim Tyler with four seconds left in the game that will send the Waynesburg College basketball team to Kansas City, Mo., and the NAIA Tournament.

The Jackets finally won the elusive big game and the NAIA District 18 championship here Wednesday night with a 47-45 tension-packed victory over St. Vincent.

The game – which seemed more like a battle between two grand master chess players – became a test of patience, nerves and finally, Tyler’s shooting touch in the final seconds.

“I was just trying to put a soft touch on the ball,” Tyler said with a wide smile in the Waynesburg locker room. “We were working for the last shot and we were looking for Mike (Taylor) since he was hot. But the coach (Rudy Marisa) said if anybody had the open shot in the last seconds to take it, don’t pass it up.

“I was open and I thought at first about driving in all the way but I pulled up and took the jumper. And then I followed it in just in case it didn’t go in.”

Tyler didn’t need to worry about a rebound as the ball hesitated at the front of the rim, then agonizingly trickled into the basket. It broke the 45-45 tie and sent the capacity crowd of approximately 1,800 at College Gym into a frenzied chant of “Kansas City, Kansas City.”

St. Vincent, which ends its season at 21-7, wasn’t finished as head coach Bernie Matthews plotted a miracle ending with two seconds to play.

“We run our five-second special every practice for occasions like this,” Matthews said while staring out a window next to the Bearcats’ locker room. “We got the ball to half-court, which is what we wanted to do, and then set up for a shot by either (Dan) Lhota or (Tim) Miller.

“We got the ball to Dan for a shot but we didn’t get the damn screen. I don’t know what happened but Anthony Frazier didn’t block his man out and somebody got a hand in Dan’s face.

“Oh well, it just came down to Waynesburg taking a poor-percentage shot and making it and us taking a poor-percentage shot and missing it.”

Lhota’s 20-foot shot from deep in the right corner hit the front of the rim and deflected away, securing Waynesburg’s district title and a Sunday morning plane trip to Kansas City.

“We’re going, we’re going,” Taylor, who led all scorers with 17 points, said slowly. “For us seniors (Paul Epps, Todd Crowley and Taylor) we’re going out on top. Our freshman year we lost in the semifinals. Our sophomore year we lost in the semifinals by one point with no time left at Westminster. Last year we went to the finals and lost by five points to Clarion. But now we’re going. It’s a dream that’s come true.”

Waynesburg, now 23-5 overall, never managed to unleash its vaunted fast break against the Bearcats’ effective combination of zone defense. The game was tied 16 times before Tyler’s game-winning shot and neither team managed a lead larger than four points in the first half. A pair of baskets by sophomore forward Tim Walker gave the Yellow Jackets a tenuous 28-26 lead at halftime.

“At halftime, I felt very similar to how I felt before the game,” Marisa said. “It was very close and we had to improve our execution in certain areas. But it was so intense I felt we were hanging onto Jaws and trying to shake loose from him.

“But I don’t think either team established the tempo, although both teams tried to. I felt it would come down to the last break, the last shot. And it did.”

Matthews, despite the excellent game plan and overall play of his team, admitted to an error in judgment in the final minute of play. He also pointed to the Bearcats’ missed opportunity to put the game away with a 38-32 lead and 13 minutes to play.

“We had two turnovers by Lhota and (Steve) Potter took a bad shot,” he said, still peering out the window at the rain outside. “I just didn’t realize that we had fouls to give in the end, you’re right about that. We should have pressured them while they were running the clock down but it never entered my mind that we had (two) fouls to give.”

Taylor, who led the comeback with two key jumpers in the final three minutes of play, was followed in the scoring by Tyler with 16 points. Lhota led St. Vincent with 13 points while Frazier and Miller added 10 each.

Waynesburg becomes the first area team to win a District 18 championship since California State turned the trick in 1970. The title is the first for the Waynesburg basketball program.

“I know what this means to myself and the team,” Marisa said as his voice cracked just a bit. “I hope this means a lot to the college community, the Waynesburg name is going to be floating around all the more after this. And I hope this means something to the town too. They’ve had something to rally around all winter.”

The 32-team NAIA Tournament opens March 9. For the first time, Waynesburg will be there.

“We’re going to the land of Dorothy and Toto,” Walker said.

Unlike Dorothy’s in the “Wizard of Oz,” Walker’s and his teammates’ dreams have come true.

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