FREDERICKSBURG, VA — The 14th-ranked UW-La Crosse men’s basketball team saw its season come to an end Saturday night, falling 73-68 to No. 5 Mary Washington in the NCAA Division III Sweet 16.
Despite the loss, UW-L (24-7) finished a historic campaign that saw the program win its first-ever WIAC Tournament championship and their 24 wins are the second-most in school history — trailing only the 25 wins from last season’s Elite Eight run.
UW-L led by five points with under 6 minutes to play following a Dustin Derousseau layup, but Mary Washington (27-3) responded with a decisive 9-0 run. UW-L had a chance to tie in the closing seconds, but a 3-point attempt from Sam Grieger missed the mark with 3 seconds remaining.
Grieger, a junior who broke UW-L’s single-season scoring mark this season, finished 23 points, while Derousseau added 20 points and five assists and JJ Paider had 16 points, nine rebounds.
Mary Washington was led by Kye Robinson, who finished with a game-high 35 points and 11 rebounds.
TOP PHOTO: UW-L’s Sam Grieger dribbles up during the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 (PHOTO: Emma Moseley, UWL Athletics)
