After falling to MidAmerica Nazarene University in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament title game last year, the Wildcats had payback on their minds Thursday in their HAAC quarterfinal game with the Pioneers in Olathe.
The Wildcats thought they had upset MNU until Jacob French hit a buzzer beater to give the Pioneers a 69-68 victory over BU.
Baker trailed 50-38 with 11 minutes remaining, but the seven Wildcat seniors led the charge to steadily chip away at the Pioneers’ advantage down the stretch.
Seniors Jordan Honore, Corey Anderson and Baba Diallo each knocked down a pair of free throws over the next 1:40 to cut the Pioneers’ lead in half.
MNU pushed the lead back to 10, but junior Todd Johnston drilled a 3-pointer to bring the deficit back to single digits. Johnston recorded both of the Wildcats’ field goals from long distance.
The Pioneers attempted to push the lead back to double digits, but Anderson drove the baseline for a left-handed layup and then made two free throws on the following possession to bring the Wildcats within five.
MidAmerica Nazarene answered again with back-to-back field goals from Conner Langrehr and Rustin Dowd to extend its lead to 62-53 with 4:50 to play.
With less than three minutes to go, junior Julian Mills made a layup and then assisted senior Todd Eils on the Wildcats’ next possession to cut the Pioneers’ lead to 65-61.
The Wildcats made it a one-possession game with 1:39 to go when sophomore EJ Carter put it up and in for two to make it 66-63 Pioneers.
MNU’s Luke Thomas converted one of two free throws on the ensuing trip down the floor, but Anderson knocked down two attempts with a minute left to pull BU within two.
The Wildcats came up with a stop on defense and then sent Honore back to the charity stripe for two shots. He made one of two to cut MNU’s advantage to 67-66 with 40.6 seconds left.
MNU came up empty again on its next possession and Baker had the ball with a chance to take the lead with 15.3 seconds to play. Honore found the ball in his hands again banking in a midrange jumper to give the Wildcats their first lead of the second half with 6.3 seconds left.
The Pioneers called a timeout and drew up a play that had French inbounding to Nick Syrie. Syrie was guarded closely as he drove down the court before he gave it back up to French in the lane for the buzzer beater.
The loss for the Wildcats eliminated them from the HAAC Tournament, while the Pioneers will advance to play Culver-Stockton College Saturday in Canton, Mo.
Baker ended the season with an overall recorded of 15-14.
