Albertus Magnus makes a believer out of John Wesley

Another close one, but this time Wesleyan couldn't pull the rabbit out of the hat. Up by six or so at the half, Wesleyan lost the lead with about four minutes to go. After a brief see-sawing, the Alberti (Albertera?) never looked back. Nevertheless, with less than a minute to play, the Cards made a clutch basket -- by number 11 if memory serves -- that brought it within one or two points. For a brief moment it looked as though Wesleyan was going to pull a victory out of the jaws of defeat, but the team could not convert on the next push up the court, missing two or three fine opportunities in the last seconds as the clock ran down to zero. A tough loss.

The relentless full-court pressure by the Alberti was the key to the game. Masselli agreed that it proved too much for the Cardinals to handle. It certainly seemed to produce a fair number of turnovers.

It was a fast-paced game, with lots of breakaway plays. Against the Lords Jeff earlier in the week, the Cards slowed the pace down in the last five minutes, lending a sense of control and determination to their play. Tonight, however, the Alberti seemed to dictate the pace. And they performed very well from the free-throw line, save for a moment toward the end when they missed the front end of a one and one and kept Wesleyan within striking distance.

An instructive game, despite the disappointing result.