University of St. Thomas Athletics
Wooster
Men's Basketball upsets No. 6 Wooster for tourney title
11/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Mark Buri had 21 points, seven rebounds and four steals and played all 40 minutes for the second consecutive night to lead St. Thomas to a 76-66 win over No. 6-rated Wooster Saturday night in the championship game of Wooster's Al Van Wie Classic.
Wooster, which was ranked sixth in the d3hoops.com poll after finishing 24-4 last season, scored 96 points in Friday's semfinal win. But the Tommies (2-0) charged to a 27-12 lead Saturday and still led 37-29 at halftime.
Wooster (1-1) never got closer than four points thereafter. The host team pulled within 70-66 with 46 seconds left on two free throws, but the Tommies made 6-of-6 at the foul line in the last minute (Brendan Finn 2-for-2, Buri 4-for-4) to score the final six points of the game.
The Tommies made 17-of-21 at the line, shot 54% from the fieldand outrebounded Wooster 32-29.
Cole Butler made 9 of 11 shots from the field for 18 points; Jimmy Sioris had 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds; Finn had 15 points, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range; and Kevin Fitzgerald added eight points and five rebounds.
Buri was the tournament MVP and Butler and Finn also made the all-tournament team.
St. Thomas opens its home season Tuesday night vs. Northwestern College (7:30 p.m.).
