College of DuPage falls in overtime

If you want someone to shoot a 3-pointer with the game and your season on the line, look no further than the program's all-time 3-point leader.

With No. 2 seed COD trailing top-seed Joliet 74-72 with 6.2 seconds left in overtime, Ryan Tyszkiewicz took the ball out of bounds underneath the Chaparrals' basket and inbounded it to Robert Odumuyimwa. The 6-foot guard, who scored 9 of his game-high 23 in overtime, kicked it back to Tyszkiewicz at the right wing for an open look.

Tyszkiewicz' fourth 3-pointer would have won the game Saturday night and sent COD (17-14) packing for the national tournament in Delhi, N.Y., where it finished third last season. Instead, the shot went long and the Chaparrals' season ended at Harper College with a second-place trophy at the NJCAA Regional IV Division III championship.

"We had it designed exactly like we wanted," said COD coach Don Klaas. "Robert driving and four other guys set up for the possible 3."

Joliet (22-9), which will make its first NJCAA national tournament appearance in three years when it competes March 13-15, took the 2-point lead with 16.3 seconds left in overtime as freshman guard William Bills sank his third 3-pointer.

"This year we made the plays down the stretch, last year they made the plays," said Joliet coach Joe Kuhn, whose team lost to COD 72-63 in last season's Region IV championship game. "It hurts like heck being over there."

COD's John Shodipo could relate. With the Chaparrals trailing 59-57 with 28.1 left in regulation, Otis Scarver drove left past Ryan Owens but was denied three times at the basket. Shodipo picked up the loose ball and was fouled by Teray Whisby as he muscled the shot over the front of the rim with 7.9 seconds remaining. But Shodipo's potential game-winning free throw missed.

"Every free throw I shot felt good," Shodipo said after his 17-point outing. "I was 5 of 6 (Thursday) and 1 for 4 today, I don't know."

Joliet's Adam Short missed a 30-footer in front of the Wolves' bench as regulation expired.

Maine West product Tim Niles hit two 3-pointers and scored 11 points for the Chaparrals before fouling out with 1:51 left in regulation.

"It hurt not having Tim out there, he's our leader," Klaas said. "But if we make our free throws we win it."