After a disappointing defeat in the first round of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament, it seemed as if the men’s basketball season had come to a close. Now, only 3 weeks later, the Quakes have secured a spot in the final four, just two wins away from a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship. On Saturday March 14, the Quakers defeated Texas-Dallas 64-59 in an overtime victory that propelled them into the semi-finals for the first time in school history. Trailing 12 points with 5:27 left in regulation, the Quakers finished off their exciting comeback with an off-balance three pointer from Clay Henson ’10 with .08 seconds.

Henson’s game-tying three was only his and the team’s second of the night, as they made three of 17 from behind the arc on the night.

“He struggled,” said Head Coach Tom Palombo of Henson’s shooting; “But (associate head) Coach (Matt) Parke said ‘Hey, get him to take the last shot. Get it in his hand,’ and he certainly did.”

Rebounds helped secure the victory for the Quakes, as they out-boarded the Comets 7-2 in the extra period and 44-30 overall. Clutch free throw shooting from Tyler Sanborn ’10 widened the lead with 1:01 left and another pair of foul shots by T.C. Anderson ’11 secured the final score and the win with just 27 seconds left.

The win over the Comets was the Quakes fourth in the tournament, as they defeated Transylvania 71-67 in OT, Averett 91-81 and John Carroll 78-73 previously.

The Quakers will square off against second-ranked Washington-Saint Louis in the semifinal match on Friday, March 20 at 5:00 pm in Salem, VA. The number two ranked Bears defeated Whitewater 73-70 and Wheaton 55-52, and upset top-ranked and previously unbeaten St. Thomas 79-64 on their way to the semi’s.

The Quakes, ranked 23rd nationally, improve their record to 25-5 and continue to pile up awards. Henson won first team all-region honors, Sanborn was named D3hoops.com South Region Player of the Year and Coach Palombo received his second D3hoops.com South Region Coach of the Year award in three years.

The winner between Guilford and Washington will meet the winner of Richard Stockton College and Franklin and Marshall College at 3:00 pm on Saturday, March 21.