One Last Dance

Scots reach NCAAs in Lambert’s final season

Maryville College men’s basketball coach Randy Lambert huddles with his players prior to a recent game. Lambert, retiring at season’s end after 39 years, has the Scots in the NCAA Tournament in his final campaign. Photos by Cindy Nowlin

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

At Christmas, they were 4-6.

Fast forward two months, and the USA South Athletic Conference champion Maryville College Scots are going dancing in Randy Lambert’s final season.

The Scots (21-7) learned this afternoon they will travel to Marietta, Ohio, to face the host Pioneers in a first round NCAA Tournament game on Friday at 8 p.m. Roaring to life in the season’s second half, the Scots have Lambert back in the big show in this his 39th and final season at the Maryville helm.

Assistant head coach Raul Placeres, a former Maryville point guard, will move to the head coach’s chair next season.

The Scots, paced by seniors Calvin Songster, Emier Bowman and Dante Hoppa, had to work for it to get Lambert one last dance. Maryville entered the USA South tournament a week ago needing to win it to secure the league’s automatic NCAA berth. In the tournament opener on Feb. 19, the Scots kicked things off with a 91-77 win over visiting LaGrange, the contest likely Lambert’s final game at Boydson Baird Gymnasium.

Enjoy the video.

Go Scots!