LOUISVILLE, KY–The Charlottesville Cardinals wheelchair basketball team dropped their final game in the NWBA national championship tournament to the #11 Atlanta Shepherd Stealers, 57-49.
The loss meant that the 16th-ranked Cardinals will finish their 34th season still ranked #16 with a 19-20 season record.
“A friend offered us some consolation, saying ‘sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you,” said player-coach Tom Vandever. “Unfortunately we were bear bait all week.”
The Cardinals started strong behind some hot shooting by Brandon Rush and Chris Robinson as the lead repeatedly changed hands throughout the first half before Shepherd gained a one point advantage at the break, 29-28.
Shepherd built a ten-point lead with eight minutes to play after the Charlottesville offense sputtered, and the Cardinals’ rally faltered as Shepherd knocked down their free throws to ice the game.
Mike Looney led all Cardinals’ scorers with 20 points, followed by Brandon Rush and Chris Robinson with 10 points each, Arthur Tracy with 4, and Eddie Wimbish, Andrea Woodson-Smith, and Tom Vandever with 2 apiece.
Shepherd’s Gavin Cloy led all scorers with 35 points.