Spring 1997
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Spring 1997 |
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No one - absolutely, no one - who was within a couple of miles of Shook Fieldhouse on Feb. 19, will ever forget the sights or ear-popping sounds of Rose-Hulman’s 70-52 win over Wabash in what was the final regular season game to be played in front of the largest crowd (2,650) in the 49-year history of Shook Fieldhouse. That win guaranteed Rose-Hulman a share of the league title, and three nights later the Engineers learned that they would serve as host for the ICAC postseason tournament for the first time in the school’s history. After a last-second loss to Wabash in the ICAC Championship, the team was selected to compete in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second year in a row. Despite having just one starter returning from the 1996 NCAA Tournament team, Head Coach Jim Shaw and the Engineers continued to silence doubters by not only making the tournament but avenging the 1996 NCAA loss with a win over Washington University. This time Rose-Hulman played host to Washington U., sending the grand old building better known as Shook Fieldhouse, out with a bang - literally - in an 86-69 win. The Engineers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the second round on a last-second shot at Illinois Wesleyan University - the eventual NCAA III National Champion. The Engineers’ improbable 19-9 season and their performance in the NCAA Tournament, reaffirmed the fact that the Rose-Hulman basketball program is quickly becoming one of the best in the nation. Senior Troy Halt personified the spirit of the Engineers’ team, winning the league’s rebounding title and finishing second on the team in scoring - despite competing against quicker and taller opponents almost every night. Halt was selected to the first-team NABC/Sears Midwest District team. He scored a career-best 29 points in the NCAA Tournament loss, and finished his career ranked 17th in school history with 1,099 points scored.   |