It was a “Cinderella” story of sorts; the Quakers were in the semifinals of the Division III Final Four. They lost their battle with the Bears of Washington University at St. Louis on March 20, only to end up victorious the following day, when playing for third place. Fans had eagerly listened to Bryan Jones’ webcast of the qualifying game, taking place in University Heights, Ohio, against the Comets of University of Texas at Dallas.

“My roommate and I sat at a computer as it was being broadcasted, holding hands because we were so nervous and excited for our boys,” said first-year Hadley Davis.

The Quakers had lost to the Comets earlier in the season 64-48, and were struggling in the game’s first half, but managed a second-half comeback. The Quakers, down by 12 with just over five minutes remaining, counted on junior Tyler Sanborn’s free-throws, sophomore T.C. Anderson’s defense, and junior Clay Henson’s last-second three-pointer to get the Quakers back into the game, and to send the game into overtime.

“When I let it go I was just praying, and hoped that it went in,” said Henson. Even when Henson was having an off game (2-8 from three-point range, 14 points), coaches knew Henson was the go-to guy for the final shot.

“(Clay)’s our leading scorer; we have confidence in him to make shots…he came through for us big time,” said head coach Tom Palombo in a post-game interview with Bryan Jones following the Washington University game,.

Guilford has never reached the NCAA Final Four, so their feat established a sense of pride throughout the team.

“It was a great honor; no one really expected us to get there,” said Sanborn.

Two buses full of Guilford students traveled to Salem, Va. to support the Quakers. Several more drove separately and added to the already high attendance in the family section to cheer on the Quakers as they faced their foes: the Bears of Washington University at St. Louis.

Five minutes into the game, the Quakers were down by four points. In the next several minutes, Washington University scored three three-pointers and two buckets, while the Quakers struggled from the field – the Quakers shot just 36-percent in the first-half compared to the Bears’ 50-percent. .

With eight minutes left before halftime, the Bears took control, and were up by 15. At the end of the first-half, the score was 39-26 in favor of the Bears.

What must have been Palombo’s “words of wisdom” in the locker room at halftime, inspired the Quakers; they began crawling back. After two consecutive three-pointers by Henson, a foul by the Bears and a rebound by Sanborn, Guilford was within five points with 12:50 remaining.

Guilford’s 11-3 run re-energized the crowd; Quaker fans sensed another second-half miracle, and could nearly taste a win.

“We thought they were going to come back! I was so excited; the atmosphere was incredible,” said first-year fan Alexandria Miles.

Unfortunately, the game took a turn for the worse; the Bears could not miss.

In just over a minute’s span, Washington’s junior Sean Wallis scored 11 points and three three-pointers to give the Bears a 16-point lead.

“It’s tough to keep momentum when the other team is hitting everything they throw up,” said first-year Brittany Speed. “Our boys gave a great effort.”

The final result was 77-58 in favor of the Bears. With the Final Four loss, the Quakers returned the following day to beat Franklin & Marshall College 79-67 to give Guilford the title of “third in the nation” in Division III basketball.

“Playing in the Final Four was a great experience. We felt really blessed to be there and make it that far,” said junior guard Rhett Bonner. “Placing third and winning the consolation game was a great feeling. We especially wanted to win it for George (Neville) and Mat (Stanley), our seniors, who deserve a lot of the credit for us making it as far as we did.”

At the season’s end, sophomore Jake Engebretsen had the last words. “Being a part of this tournament is something I will never forget. I’m so proud to be a part of this year’s team.