Young's last-second shot gives Warhawks title

More news about: UW-Whitewater | Williams
Mar 22, 2014
Pat Miller and the Warhawks bench celebrate as time expires.
Photo by Eric Kelley, d3photography.com
More photos from this game. 
Photo by Lynda Kelley, d3photography.com

Quardell Young hit a layup as part of a three-point play with 0.9 seconds to go to lift UW-Whitewater to the 2014 NCAA Division III men’s basketball national championship, defeating Williams 75-73.

Young's play turned Williams' evening from elation to depression as he took the outlet pass after Michael Mayer hit a tip-in with 4.9 seconds left. Young sprinted up the floor, hit the layup, drew a foul and gave the Warhawks a two-point lead. Whitewater survived a buzzer-beater attempt by Duncan Robinson to come away with the title.

“I know it’s not much time left so I had to attack aggressively,” Young said. “I made an in and out move and I saw the defender shift his body toward the outside so I made one step toward the inside so I was available to make the layup.”

It's the second national title in three years for the Warhawks and the fourth in the history of the program. UW-Whitewater is also the only school in the NCAA that has won both the football and men's basketball national championship in the same season twice.

Whitewater led by as many as 15 points in the first half, and by as many as seven, 49-42 on a 3-pointer by senior guard Alex Merg from the top of the key at 14:55. Seven unanswered points for the Ephs knotted the score at 49-49, but KJ Evans' old fashioned three-point play put UW-W back in front 52-49 at 11:54. Junior forward Daniel Wohl put Williams back in front 54-52 with a three-point play at 10:57. The lead seesawed over the next ten minutes. 

With UWW trailing 71-69, Bryson knocked down a three from a left angle to make it 72-71 with :54 on the clock. Williams' next possession was thwarted by an errant pass and Steve Egan steal.  Williams fouled Merg on the inbounds to stop the clock, but he missed the front end of a one and one and Williams rebounded, then called timeout with 18.7 seconds left.  Mayer's tipin followed on Williams' final possession, and Young followed with his dramatic dash down the court.