FINDLAY, Ohio - Herb Goliday's layup with 5.5 seconds left nullified a second-half comeback as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville fell 56-55 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament.
         The Cougars, which finish the season with a 23-9 record, took their only lead of the second half with 15.1 seconds left as Anthony Jones swished a three-pointer. SIUE took a 55-54 lead on the play.
         After a Wayne State timeout, Goliday converted a layup on the left side of the basket on an assist by Morris Hall.
         SIUE's J.B. Jones went the length of the floor in the final five seconds, but the Wayne State defense held the Cougar freshman to only a shot off the side of the backboard to end the game.
         "I just think it was a game of making plays," said SIUE Coach Marty Simmons, who guided the Cougars to the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 seasons. "I am really proud of our guys, and I think there were several times in the second half where they had us on the verge. We kept making plays to stay in the game. Obviously, at the end of the game we made plays to finally get the lead, but they made plays too."
         SIUE and Wayne State were tied 25-25 after halftime, but the Warriors pulled ahead by as much as nine points in the second half to take control. Wayne State, which will play top-seeded Findlay in next round on Sunday, improved to 20-11.
         Senior center Dan Heimos led all scorers with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Heimos also had five blocks, completing his career with a school record 134 blocks.
         Joel Jaye added 11 points for the Cougars.
         Hall led the scoring attack for the Warriors with 15 points. Erik Parker and Darrell Evans added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
         SIUE ends the season tieing the school record for victories with 23.
         "We had our goal set to get to the NCAA tournament. I just have to give the five seniors the credit. They established a benchmark last year with 16 wins. That was a big step for us. They made a commitment in the summer and in the preseason to do even better. They are all great ambassadors for the program. They are a joy to be around, and they are the ones that deserve the credit because they have laid the foundation for this program," said Simmons.
                  -siue cougars-