Texas Roadhouse used experience and height to tower over Old School, as athleticism proved victorious over Old School's older but well-conditioned squad in a 21-16 Texas Roadhouse win.
Staff member Matt McCubbins and graduate student Luke Chicoine kept Old School in the game all night long, playing scrappy defense in the post against Texas Roadhouse junior Taylor Williams. Texas Roadhouse junior point guard JT Breveard ran up and down the court tirelessly during the entire game, adding energy at the point guard position.
"It's a tough matchup for us because they had both height and a quick guard out there," Old School coach Todd Hill said. "They started draining outside jumpers there, and we had a letdown."
Texas Roadhouse struggled to pull away, as Old School was almost always within two or three points. Offensively, Old School continued to fight back with the help of staff members Joel Dosmann, Matthew Blazejewski and Mark Bennett. Texas Roadhouse took an 11-8 lead into halftime.
Old School's average age of 34 presented a challenge against a college-aged Texas Roadhouse team.
"We had a comeback, but I think it was a little bit too late there; we couldn't finish," Hill said. "Given we're double their age, I think it's pretty impressive what we've done. We know athletic-wise, we're not going to match up with these guys."
Texas Roadhouse senior Adam Dobrzykowski's height on defense ultimately served as the difference in the game, however, as he held an advantage against all of Old School's guards.
"Going into these games, we expect to win as the fifth seed," Roadhouse freshman Pat Derksen said. "We're pretty confident going in, and we just try and work the ball around, get good shots, box out, grab the rebound and just run — run those guys off the court."
No. 8 The Firm 21- No. 9 Charlie Keller 15
The match-up between athletes and sharpshooters originally appeared to be a lopsided affair, but Charlie Keller continued to hustle, coming up just short in The Firm's 21-15 victory.
The Firm opened the game with a 10-2 run, as sophomore Will Reising and junior Mike Renner led the team with solid defense and sophomore Gary Hunt directed the team's fast-paced offense.
It was Charlie Keller's duo of assistant rector Ryan Raybould and staff member Lenny DeLorenzo who shut down The Firm's offense late in the second half, igniting a 5-1 run to close out the half down 11-7.
One particular fan in attendance, Irish basketball coach Mike Brey, described the matchup as "intense." He said he knew all along that Charlie Keller was bringing resilient competition to the court because he stumbled upon captain Fr. Pete McCormick, Keough's rector and chaplain to the Irish basketball team, earlier in the day.
"I saw his game face, and I was afraid to talk to him," Brey said.
Sophomore Matt Huber's frustration showed in the middle of the second half, when The Firm struggled to make a shot. McCormick led Charlie Keller offensively, and staff member Tim Novak added several fast-break points, hustling past The Firm's defense and bringing the score within two, 17-15.
"It's fun to come out and play. As a team, it's fun to come out and see how far you can go in the tournament," McCormick said. "Those guys have a great team — great shooters, great inside game, and they play well together."
Charlie Keller's rally was stifled by The Firm's endurance and speed. Down 20-15, Charlie Keller senior Jim Maslar suffered an ankle injury, deflating all hope of a miraculous comeback.
"We manned up, and we played a really firm game," The Firm sophomore Steve Conway said. "We played [Charlie Keller] last year, and this year they came back and battled, and it was a really good game."
