Buzzer-Beater Caps Dramatic Schreiner Victory, 71-69, Over Colorado College

In a hotly contested SCAC showdown, the Schreiner Mountaineers demonstrated exactly why teamwork makes the dream work. The Mountaineers dished out 15 assists on their 27 made field goals, none more critical than Mario Johnson’s (10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal) final dime to CJ Ward (6 points, 2 rebounds) at the buzzer. Ward’s soft bank shot as the red light glowed sealed a thrilling 71-69 road victory over the Colorado College Tigers.

Colorado College came out firing behind forward Devin Philio (14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks), who sparked an early 8-2 lead with a series of inside moves and a two-handed fast-break jam. The Tigers made the most of their size in the paint, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds and ultimately edging Schreiner 41-36 in total boards.

Dylan Mackey (game-high 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 4-for-4 from three, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal) immediately reignited the Mountaineers’ offense. After checking in at the first media timeout, he slashed to the rim for a layup, then buried a quick three-pointer, tying the score at 17. His hot hand would persist all night, despite some turnovers, as he led all scorers.

Colorado College’s Asher Nofziger (9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal) and Philio continued to grind in the paint, while Ty Hendler (10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) knocked down outside shots to keep the Tigers in front. A sequence of turnovers briefly bogged down Schreiner’s offense, yet Kamden Ross (11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block) hustled on the offensive glass. His tip-in late in the half gave the Mountaineers their first lead at 29-28, though Orion Samikoglu (8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals) nailed a three-pointer in the final seconds to put Colorado College on top, 31-29, at the break.

The second half opened with more frenetic back-and-forth play. Schreiner forced early turnovers and Mackey’s step-back three sparked a 9-3 surge, handing the Mountaineers a 38-34 advantage. Colorado College countered behind Philio’s emphatic slam-and-one, cutting the deficit to one. Moments later, a quick Tiger burst made it 41-38 Colorado College.

The Mountaineers turned to their depth. Center Carson Diamond (3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block) delivered key second-half minutes, including a clutch three-pointer and a bullet pass to Ross for an easy bucket. Meanwhile, Charley Reado (5 points, 1 rebound) hit a timely triple to stretch Schreiner’s lead to 54-45 with under ten minutes remaining—the biggest cushion of the night.

Colorado College refused to fold, reeling off 10 straight points to wrest back the lead, 55-54. Both teams kept trading baskets and defensive stops, ratcheting up the tension in the final five minutes. After Johnson’s layup and a nifty hook shot, Schreiner led 58-56. Beau Cervantes (10 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) followed with a conventional three-point play, knotting the game at 61-61, and fans on both sides braced for a photo finish.

With under two minutes left, Justin Gooden (2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block) calmly sank two free throws to make it 65-63. Philio later answered with a hook to tie it at 67-67. Then Ross flipped a beautiful lob to Johnson, who softly finished to put the Mountaineers ahead 69-67. Colorado College’s senior guard Scott Ruegg (7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists) nailed a clutch jumper from the elbow, deadlocking the score yet again at 69-69 with 16 seconds to go.

On the final possession, Johnson caught the ball near the left elbow and started his drive to the basket. Drawing two defenders, he delivered a brilliant shovel pass to a cutting Ward, whose layup softly went in off the glass just as the horn sounded. 

With the victory, Schreiner now holds a league best eight game win streak and earns its 19th victory in what is already the winningest regular season in school history. The Mountaineers wrap up the regular season on Sunday in Houston when they take on the Blue Division leading St. Thomas Celts at 2pm. Schreiner has qualified for the SCAC championship tournament which we will be held next weekend at the University of Dallas.