It marks the fourth time in the last six seasons that Wooster has reached the round of 16, something only one other Div. III school can boast during the same era (1999-2004). Catholic University went to four-straight "Sweet 16’s" from 1999-2002, while the Scots made it in 1999, 2000, 2003, and now again in 2004.
On Saturday, Wooster (25-3) led for most of the game, but SUNY Potsdam seemed to have an answer every time the Scots looked like they were going to put it away.
After Kyle Witucky provided a big momentum lift with a last-second lay-up to give Wooster a 27-25 lead at the end of the opening half, the Bears (19-11) came out and scored on three of four possessions, taking leads of 29-27 and 31-29 to start the second.
The Scots, behind a 3-pointer and lay-up by Tom Port, scored the next seven to take a five-point edge at the 14:55 mark. SUNY Potsdam kept it a two-possession game through the midway juncture of the second half until Witucky canned a three to make it 46-39.
However, Evril Clayton responded with a three for the Bears on the ensuing possession to pull it back to four (46-42).
It was still a two-possession game at the six-minute mark, when Port followed his own miss with a put-back to put Wooster ahead 52-44. SUNY Potsdam missed a jumper on the following possession, and on the other end, fouled Blake Mealer, who canned both from the line to extend the lead to double-digits for the first time (54-44) with 5:41 remaining.
The teams were scoreless for 1:40 until Mealer made two more free throws, and then with just over three minutes left, Ryan Snyder iced it with a high-arching 3-pointer that nestled in the bottom of the net. That made it 59-44, and the Bears were forced to foul.
Port paced the Scots with 21 points, including three 3-pointers, while Mealer chipped in 13 points and grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds. Snyer, who played 28 minutes off of the bench, made every shot he attempted for the second consecutive game, this time going 4-for-4 from the field, incluindg two 3’s, and 1-of-1 from the line for 11 points, to go with a season-high seven rebounds.
Also noteworthy, Witucky passed out seven assists for the second game in a row.
Edane Barton matched Port’s 21 points to lead SUNY Potsdam, but he struggled from 3-point range, misfiring on six of seven attempts from the arc. Clayton and Christian Turner added 10 points apiece.
Overall, both teams played sound defense. Wooster limited the Bears to 36 percent shooting from the field (18-of-50), including just 2-of-19 3-pointers, while the Scots ended at an overall rate of .423 (22-of-52). The 3-pointers were the difference, as Wooster went 8-for-22.
SUNY Potsdam became only the fourth team to outrebound the Scots this season, holding a 37-33 edge on the glass, but Wooster committed just seven turnovers to the Bears’ 15.
The Scots will play Illinois Wesleyan University (21-6), which knocked off No. 2 Hanover College 77-67, Friday, March 12, at a sectional, where two "Sweet 16" games will be played, followed by a national quarterfinal on Saturday, March 13. The site of the sectional, which also includes John Carroll University (25-5) and Maryville (Tenn.) College (23-5) will be announced tomorrow.