Matt Finke played hero for Mitchell College men’s basketball on Thursday night, and the Mariners are headed to the New England Collegiate Conference tournament final.
Finke banked in a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give fourth-seeded Mitchell an 87-85 overtime win over top-seeded New England College in Henniker, N.H. Finke finished with a game-high 22 points and made 5-of-9 three-point attempts. It was the last of the junior’s five treys that proved to be the biggest.
Mitchell trailed NEC 85-84 with 2.5 seconds left and had to inbound from under its own basket. Malik Chase fired a left-handed pass to Finke just over midcourt. Finke turned to his left, dribbled and fired a shot from near the sideline on the left side of the court before the buzzer went off. The shot kissed off the glass and went through the net. Finke lifted both arms into the air in triumph and was mobbed by his Mariner teammates.
Finke had six rebounds, six assists and a steal, but it was his long 3-pointer that was the biggest highlight. Mitchell hosts sixth-seeded Newbury College for the NECC crown on Saturday at 2 p.m. in New London.
