Vladimir Cherry

Box Score

The No. 19-ranked Bucs put up a spirited effort before falling to No. 1 Lincoln Memorial.

Barry BARRY-M 26-7

Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) LMU 33-2

Barry BARRY-M

26-7

Final

Mar. 23, 2016

Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) LMU

33-2

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Barry BARRY-M	38	37	75
Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) LMU	42	51	93

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 3/23/2016 4:43:00 PM | Jim McCurdy

Men's Basketball Bows Out in NCAA Quarterfinals

Barry caps season with school record 26 wins

FULL REPLAY

FRISCO, Texas -- Barry University men's basketball team's NCAA Tournament run came to an end Wednesday in a 93-75 quarterfinals loss to Lincoln Memorial at Dr. Pepper Arena.

The No. 19/20-ranked Buccaneers finished with a school-record 26 wins, and claimed the NCAA South Region championship as well as a co-championship in the Sunshine State Conference regular season.

"It was a great run for Barry University," Bucs third-year coach Butch Estes said. "It really was. It's been sort of record-setting. It's just been tremendous."

Wednesday marked the Bucs' first trip to the Elite Eight in school history. They finished the season with a 26-7 record. Lincoln Memorial (33-2) advances to Thursday's semifinals.

"It was a fun ride," Barry senior guard Yunio Barrueta said. "I'm glad we made history at Barry, and we'll forever be known, and I'm just glad I was a part of it."

The Bucs opened up an 11-point lead with 5:05 to play in the first half. Barrueta had a dunk in transition on a look-ahead pass from Undra Mitchem. Then after a jumper by Lincoln Memorial's Luquon Choice, Barry's Arie Williams canned a triple and Barrueta knocked down a shot and sank two free throws to give the Buccaneers their largest lead of the game, 38-27.

"When things got started, we were feeling it," Barry senior center Tray Leonard said. "We got it going early. We were Barry University early, and then I got in foul trouble and had to step off. There was a little drop off."

Leonard picked up his second foul in the first half after hitting all three of his field goal attempts, but was forced to sit for 15 minutes before the break. After Barrueta's second free throw at the 5:05 mark, the Railsplitters went on a 15-0 run to close the first half. Lincoln Memorial, which extended its winning streak to 23 games, took a 42-38 lead into halftime.

LMU extended its lead to 10 on a pair of 3-pointers by Choice and Jalen Steele early in the second half before the Bucs cut it to five on a triple by Leonard. Barry drew within four twice on a pair of inside baskets by Leonard. Gerel Simmons hit a 3 to give the Railsplitters a 61-54 lead at the 11:12 mark, but Barrueta buried a triple of his own on the next trip down to the floor to keep the Buccaneers within four. Adrian Gonzalez grabbed an offensive rebound, scored and was fouled. He sank the free throw to pull the Bucs within three, 63-60, with 9:53 remaining. But Lincoln Memorial used a 17-0 run over the next 3:43 to put the game away.

Railsplitters forward Terry Emanuel went 9 for 10, scoring 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking four shots. Choice had 17 points and six assists, and Simmons had 16 points and six boards.

"They're a guard-scoring team, and their inside players were very productive today," Estes said. "We came out in the second half and tried to do a few things differently. It didn't seem to work, and they continued to hurt us consistently on rebounding."

The Bucs were outrebounded, 50-42. Barry shot 40 percent, while Lincoln Memorial hit 46.6 percent of its field goals. The Railsplitters outscored the Buccaneers, 25-11, in second chance points. Barry was outscored, 46-34, in the paint.

Barrueta finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and a steal in his final college game. He was 8 of 18 from the floor, including 4 of 8 from long range. Leonard had 16 points, six boards and a block in his swan song. Leonard hit 7 of 12 field goals.

"Coming from where I was two or three years ago, I would've never guessed I'd be sitting here in the Elite Eight," Leonard said. "Even though I just lost, I have a lot to look back on, a lot of positive memories with these guys. I love these dudes. They're like my brothers. I see Coach as a father figure that I never had."

Barry senior guard Anders Haas had 10 points and four rebounds in his final game. He was 5 of 12 from the floor. Elvar Fridriksson had 10 points and five assists.

"Our team, even though we're disappointed today," Estes said, "I think we still represent what's good about college basketball."

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