National Runner Up! | The
Journey | Highlights, records and awards
Men's basketball finishes as the NCAA DIII national runner-up
The defending national champions made their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III national tournament. As the top-seed in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), the Marlin men were hoping to add a second national championship to their list of record breaking accomplishments.
The journey to the finals
The men's basketball team entered the ODAC tournament with confidence. They came out strong in the quarterfinals beating Washington and Lee University 82-48. With previous experience, they could taste a third consecutive ODAC Championship. Unfortunately, Hampden-Sydney College knocked them out of the running. Despite the loss, the Marlins received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
The Jane P. Batten Student Center was packed with fans on March 2 as the first round of the 2007 NCAA Division III tournament kicked off against Averett University. The Marlins secured wins in the first two rounds of play, ousting Averett 63-60 and Hampden-Sydney 61-51. In game one, senior Brandon Adair scored 19 points to surpass a career high 2,000 points - a first in Virginia Wesleyan history.
Brandon Adair shoots over a Washington University of St. Louis player in the National Division III Semifinal game.In the third round of the NCAA tournament, the Marlins hosted No. 3 ranked Mississippi College on March 9. The Marlin offense couldn't be stopped - four players scored in the double figures, with the team shooting 57.9% from the field. Leading by 9 points at halftime, the Marlins pulled away in the second half, hitting an astonishing 72 percent from the field to win the game 81-55.
The following night pitted the Marlins against ODAC rival, Guilford College. The Marlin defense proved to be just as strong as their offense and defeated the Quakers 81-71. Offensively, junior TonTon Balenga led the Marlins with 18 points and four team members scored in the double digits.
Before a crowd of more than 2,000, the Marlins battled through one of their toughest games of the season in the Division III semifinal game on March 16. The lead changed 11 times and the score was tied seven. It was a seat-gripping finish as the Marlins led by two with nine seconds left on the clock after junior D'Juan Tucker sunk one of two free throws. With the final seconds ticking, the Bears' Zach Kelly threw up a buzzer beating shot which was shy of the basket. Another Bears' player grabbed the loose ball and shot again, this time making the basket. Officials ruled the buzzer sounded before the ball rolled over the rim however, securing the win for Virginia Wesleyan. Adair continued to be a staple player, hitting an NCAA single-game record 12- of-12 field goal attempts. Balenga and junior Tyler Fantin added 10 points to the Marlin effort. "What a game," said Head Coach Dave Macedo. "It came down to making plays down the stretch and we found a way to win tonight."
History had repeated itself - the Marlins were once again battling for the national title. After an exhilarating season followed by an 11-game winning streak in the NCAA tournament, the Marlins had one more obstacle - Amherst College. The Marlins jumped out early with back-to-back lay-ups giving them a 4-0 lead. The Lord Jeffs rallied back instantly; snagging a 12-0 run in two minutes of play.
TonTon Balenga completes a lay-up in the NCAA Division III National Semifinal game against Washington University of St. Louis.
After the first half, Amherst led with an 11 point advantage. The deficit may not have been large, but the Marlins struggled to gain momentum. With two minutes left in the game, they desperately tried to close in, but Amherst was strong at the free-throw line, hitting 7-of-8. Balenga led the Marlins with 19 points while Adair finished his career with the Marlins adding 17 points. After the game, Macedo complemented his team and all the hard work his seniors had put into the program. "Our seniors are real leaders and they gave me everything they had this season," said Macedo. "There's not much more I could have asked of them. Hopefully our younger players learned from them and carry on the success our seniors started."
Highlights, records and awards
The Marlin men finished second in the for the 2006-2007 season, with a final overall record of 28-5 and 17-1 in the ODAC. It was their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III national tournament under Head Coach David Macedo. With a 73 percent average winning streak, Macedo is ranked No. 1 among all of VWC's men's basketball coaches and carries a 124-45 overall record in six seasons.
Superb offense with a seasoned squad of four seniors was a key to men's basketball success in 2006-2007. Statistically, the Marlin offense was led by All-American senior Brandon Adair and preseason All-American junior TonTon Balenga with a scoring average of 17.7 and 15.1 respectively for the season.
Adair finished his career at Wesleyan with a field goal percentage at 69.1% - placing him No. 1 in the nation. As a team, the Marlins had a 14.3 higher average scoring margin compared to their opponents.
Adair received first team honors from the ODAC, NABC All-South and D3hoops.com All-South; and second team recognition from D3hoops.com All-America. Balenga received second team honors from the ODAC and third team recognition from D3hoops.com All-South.