BY TARIQ FISCHER

In print | Published December 2, 2004

Talk about cardiac arrest.

After an 84-79 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Biblical Crimson Eagles Tuesday night, Swat basketball fans probably stumbled into Worth Health Center with complaints of chronic chest pain. The game was the Garnet’s third consecutive overtime loss this season, dropping the team to 1-4 with the Centennial schedule looming.

Centennial Conference coaches picked the Tide to finish eighth out of 10 teams in a preseason poll. Last year’s preseason was a similar story, but Swat managed to surprise quite a few Conference foes. “We were in contention for the playoffs up until the final minute of the season last year,” coach Lee Wimberly explained.

Swarthmore opened up the season on a strong note with a four-point win over Connecticut College on Nov. 19th at the Equinox Classic, then faced a talented Williams squad, last year’s national runner-ups, the next afternoon at home. The Garnet battled the Ephs early and earned a 31-31 tie at halftime. But Williams put on an offensive showcase in the second half, hitting 70 percent of its 3-point attempts, and ultimately prevailed by a convincing score of 81-61.

Swarthmore then dropped its next three as well, battling Drew, Neumann, and Philadelphia Biblical into overtime play but coming up just short in each game. “In the OT games we had chances to win, but we didn’t,” Wimberly said.

“We didn’t play even up to half of our potential,” Ian McCormick ‘08 said of Tuesday’s loss. “We were pressured, and we didn’t handle the pressure well. We haven’t played a full game this year up to our potential.”

Wimberly is fielding an extremely young team this year, working many sophomores and first-years into the rotation. “We have a group of sophomores that have to step up,” Wimberly said. “I haven’t been thrilled with the way it has gone.” Jeff Maxim ‘07, Chris Casey ’07 and Dillon McGrew ’07 all scored in double digits against the Crimson Eagles, showing progress in the transition from role players to playmakers. A strong group of recruits is also making an immediate impact, but, as Wimberly explained, "they’ve all struggled making the adjustment to the college game." With the team’s sights firmly set on the Conference playoffs, Wimberly said the first-years’ have a key role. “We need [the first-years] to make significant contributions if we are going to contend.”

McCormick, who has been receiving significant playing time in his first year as a member of the squad, agreed with Wimberly’s assessment. “The freshmen that we have are very capable of playing a big role on this team,” he said. “I think it’s just about adjusting to the next level of college play.”

However, the star of the Garnet basketball show this season has been 6’4" forward Matt Gustafson ’05. Gustafson has picked up where he left off last year, when he added his name to the Swarthmore 1000-Point Club and was regonized as first-team All-Centennial Conference. The hot-handed shooter is at or near the top of the conference in every major category, including scoring (31 ppg), rebounding (10.3 rpg), assists (2.5 apg), blocks (1.75 bpg.), three-pointers (1.75 pg.), steals (1.75 spg), and free throw percentage (80.8). Gustafson earned Centennial Conference Player of the Week honors this week after putting up numbers more obscene than the goings-on at the annual Sager dance.

Coach Wimberly is excited about the performance of his star player. “[Gustafson’s] a kid who’s gotten better and better every year. He’s really coachable and keeps learning,” Wimberly said. “I don’t think we could have asked for more.” By “really coachable,” Wimberly must mean “he tears through our opponents like a hungry wolf in a KFC,” because that is exactly what he’s done, putting up 25, 27, 37 (!), 35, and 29 points in this season’s games.

“[Gustafson] has picked us up and carried us on his back,” McCormick said. “I’ve never played with a better player.”

The Tide opens the conference schedule at Ursinus on Saturday at 1 p.m., then will play it first conference home game Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. against Johns Hopkins. Garnet fans concerned about their cardiac health need not worry; the walking defibrillator that is Matt Gustafson will be there.

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