Tiny Guard Scores Late To Beat UI

Five-foot-three point guard Shawnta Rogers scored nine points in the second overtime to spark the George Washington Colonials to a 84-83 double overtime men’s basketball victory over the Idaho Vandals in the championship game of the Sacramento Holiday Classic.

Reserve forward Jason Jackman scored a career high 22 points to lead Idaho. Senior guard Kwame Evans led George Washington with 21 points. Rogers finished with 18, all of them coming in the second half and overtime periods.

Idaho fell to 5-4 while George Washington improved to 6-2.

The game ended in controversy as Idaho’s Reggie Rose hit a 3-point shot before the buzzer and was knocked into Idaho’s bench. The officials gave Idaho the made shot, but not the foul.

“That’s not right,” said Idaho head coach Joe Cravens. “You cheat the kids and I don’t complain very much. Coach Mike Jarvis (George Washington head coach) was very gracious and I give them a lot of credit.”

Neither team hit a field goal in the first 2:16 of the first overtime.

For Idaho, Shawn Dirden tipped in Eddie Turner’s missed shot with 1.9 seconds left to tie the game 72-72 and send it into the second overtime.

In the second extra period, the two teams were tied at 80 when Rogers gave the Colonials the lead for good by hitting a 2-pointer with 49 seconds left to play.

It was Idaho’s first overtime game in nearly two years. The last was a 92-89 triple overtime win at Idaho State back on February 4, 1994.

The lead changed nine times in the final 7-1/2 minutes of the second half.

But George Washington scored the final three points of regulation to send the game into overtime.

Nate Gardner put back his own missed shot with 1:35 left to give the Vandals a 65-62 lead. Seven-foot-one sophomore center Alexander Koul then hit one free throw with 1:13 left to cut the lead to 65-63. Jason Jackman missed a short shot on the next possession, but Idaho got the ball back with 45 seconds left when the missed shot went off a Colonial.

Vaughn Jones then blocked a Rose shot with 16 seconds left. Rogers was fouled by Rose with 1.2 seconds left and made both free throws to tie the game at 65.

George Washington (84) - Vaughn Jones 3-11 4-6 10, Yegor Mescheriakov 6-11 2-3 15, Alexander Koul 5-7 3-5 15, Kwame Evans 8-15 5-8 22, J.J. Brade 1- 4 2-2 4, Shanta Rogers 5-9 5-6 18, Andrei Krivonos 0-0 0-0 0, Darin Green 1-3 0-0 2, Rasheed Hazzard 0-2 0-0 0, Ferdinand Williams 0-2 0-0 0, Seco Camara 0-1 0-0 0. Totals - 29-65 21-30 84

Idaho (83) - James Jones 0-2 2-2 2, Harry Harrison 2-9 2-4 3, Nate Gardner 4-6 4-4 12, Reggie Rose 4-12 6-8 16, Shawn Dirden 6-15 1-4 13, Kris Baumann 0-3 2-2 2, Eddie Turner 4-11 1-3 10, Jason Jackman 8-12 6-6 22. Totals - 28-70 24-33 83

3-point goals - Idaho 3-12 (Rose 2-3, Dirden 0-5, Baumann 0- 3, Turner 1-1), George Washington 5-15 (Jones 0-1, Mescheriakov 1-2, Evans 1-5, Rogers 3-5, Green 0-1, Hazzard 0-1). Fouled out - Gardner, Idaho. Rebounds - Idaho 47 (Harrison 11), George Washington 41 (Koul 11). Assists - Idaho 15 (Rose, Turner, Baumann 3), George Washington 18 (Jones 6). Total fouls - Idaho 19, George Washington 26. Technicals - Idaho bench, Koul, George Washington. Halftime score- George Washington 32, Idaho 28. A-4,131