Macomb found themselves in the trophy round for first time since the 2014 tournament and just like in that event, they take home the 3rd place hardware. This time the Bombers did it with a win over the Liberty Eagles 54-38. Macomb did it by dominating the glass, securing the basketball (only seven turnovers), and taking advantage of points off of turnovers.
The score was 9-7 before a buzzer-beater 3-point basket was made just inside half-court by Connor Watson to end the first quarter. The Bombers never relinquished the lead. The Eagles couldn’t get anything going offensively, shooting 15-of-43 (34.9%) from the floor in this contest. Macomb actually shot better beyond the arc (8-for-18 for 44%) than they did from inside the arc (9-for-23 for 39%).
The Bombers were led in scoring by a trio of double-digit scorers: Connor Watson (16), Caden Mainland (12), and Connor Hamm (12). Mainland led the game with 14 rebounds as well. Watson had a game-high five assists.
Liberty’s leading scorer was Cannen Wolf with 11 points. Breiton Klingele joined the double-digit scoring with 10 points of his own. Klingele led his team with seven rebounds.
Macomb (11-4) earns 3rd place with the impressive win. Liberty walks away with the 4th place trophy…a nice upgrade from the 5th place they earned in the 2019 event.
Box Score
Liberty Info
Macomb Info
Chris Derry
December 29, 2021