Skip To Main Content

Edinboro University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

Ayuba Alli vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater
Rylie Steiner

Wheelchair Basketball Dan Graham, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Edinboro Drops Overtime Contest to Illinois, 54-45, on Day One of NWBA Intercollegiate Tournament

WHITEWATER, Wisc. (March 9, 2017) – The Edinboro University wheelchair basketball team opened up competition at the NWBA Intercollegiate Division National Championships Thursday morning with an overtime affair against Illinois. Despite double-digit scoring efforts from Ayuba Alli and Mike Adams and Kevin Atherley grabbing 13 rebounds, the third-seeded Fighting Illini outscored the sixth-seeded Fighting Scots, 11-2, in the extra frame to hand Edinboro a 54-45 defeat. The national tournament is being hosted by Wisconsin-Whitewater.
 
Edinboro dropped to 13-13 on the year, while Illinois improved to 17-11. The Fighting Scots will now play on Friday at 11:00 a.m. EST against the loser of Thursday night's contest between seventh-seeded Southwest Minnesota State and second-seeded Wisconsin Whitewater. The Fighting Illini will face the winner of the Southwest Minnesota State-Wisconsin-Whitewater contest on Friday at 4:00 p.m. EST. 
 
Alli led Edinboro in scoring with 13 points, while grabbing nine rebounds. Adams finished with 12 markers, while Atherley had nine points to go along with his team-high 13 boards. Wolf collected eight points, while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out six assists.
 
Ryan Neiswender led all scorers with 29 points for Illinois, and nearly had a triple-double with 13 rebounds and nine assists. He scored all of the Fighting Illini's 11 overtime points. Spencer Heslop tallied 11 points with 11 rebounds, while Michael Mitchell finished with 10 markers and six rebounds.
 
Illinois jumped out to an early 9-1 less than three-and-a-half minutes into the game. Edinboro responded with a 10-2 run to knot the game up at 11-11 with 9:37 to go before halftime. The game would be tied at 15-15 before Illinois regained the lead on a three-pointer by Spencer Heslop and a jumper from Ryan Neiswender at 20-15 with 3:21 to go in the half. The Fighting Scots closed the half on a 7-0 run to hold a 22-20 lead at intermission. Chayse Wolf scored back-to-back layups, while Alli drilled a 3-pointer with 40 seconds remaining to put Edinboro out in front.
 
The second half consisted of six lead changes and five ties, with neither side holding more than a four-point lead. The game was tied at 39-39 with 2:52 to play in regulation before Alli hit a pair of baskets to put Edinboro up, 43-39, with 1:23 to go in the half. Heslop answered for Illinois with two buckets of his own, with the latter coming with 11 seconds left in regulation to tie the game up at 43-43 and send the game into overtime.
 
The Fighting Scots held the Fighting Illini to 2-for-5 from the floor in overtime, but shot just 1-for-6 from the field. Neiswender made 6-of-8 free throws, while Edinboro did not make it to the charity stripe in overtime. The Fighting Scots' lone basket in overtime was an Adams jumper that tied the game at 45-45 with 4:13 to play. Illinois ended the game on a 9-0 run, with Neiswender's triple giving them the lead for good at 48-45 with 3:38 remaining. The rest of Illinois' points came on free throws, including one from an Edinboro technical foul with 1:51 to play that gave the Fighting Illini a 49-45 lead.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Mike Adams

#24 Mike Adams

Senior
Ayuba Alli

#33 Ayuba Alli

Senior
Kevin Atherley

#35 Kevin Atherley

Sophomore
Chayse Wolf

#21 Chayse Wolf

Freshman

Players Mentioned

Mike Adams

#24 Mike Adams

Senior
Ayuba Alli

#33 Ayuba Alli

Senior
Kevin Atherley

#35 Kevin Atherley

Sophomore
Chayse Wolf

#21 Chayse Wolf

Freshman