Tom Kleinschmidt saw a split second of open daylight. So he took the short jumper that could have sent the game into overtime or won it.
But Clarence Thrash sprang into action. He blocked Kleinschmidt’s shot, preserved Alabama Birmingham’s 78-73 victory over De Paul and nullified one of the finest all-around individual performances in Horizon basketball history.
“I thought I was open,” Kleinschmidt said Wednesday night after his career-high 37-point performance wasn’t quite enough.
That was the script in the final seconds when 6-foot-5-inch Kleinschmidt carried his team and came within a whisker of pulling off as close to a single-handed victory as the game allows.
Like everybody else at the Horizon, UAB’s 6-8 center Thrash knew who would take the shot when De Paul trailed 75-73 with eight second to play.
“We all knew Kleinschmidt would shoot,” Thrash said. “He’s a great all around player . . . the best in our conference.”
Kleinschmidt already had scored 27 in the second half when he pulled the Blue Demons from 11 points behind.
Kleimschmidt had tied the game 73-73 with 1:15 to play when he drilled his fifth three-point basket of the second half. Then, after Robert Shannon put UAB ahead 75-73 with a banked jump shot, Kleinschmidt drove the lane, beat UAB’s best defender, George Wilkerson, and went for the basket or foul shots that could force overtime or the three-point play that could win it.
“Kleinschmidt put a pump fake on George and got past him,” Thrash said. “I came off my man and put up an arm. Yes, sir, I got it clean.”
That was the ballgame. UAB, ranked 18 in the AP poll, improved its records to 18-3 overall and 6-2 in the Great Midwest. De Paul fell to 13-7, 2-6 and suffered its sixth straight conference loss.
Kleinschmidt hit 11 of 20 shots, five of seven from behind the three arc. He was De Paul’s co-leader in rebounds with six. He made six assists and led his team with three steals.
“I was in a zone,” Kleinschmidt said. “I felt hot, and I kept shooting. I did half of it. My teammates set screens and got me the ball. They did the other half.”
De Paul knew it needed big offensive nights from Kleinschmidt and 21-point scorer Belefia Parks. Bandon Cole, No. 2 scorer, did not play because of an eye injury. So Kleinschmidt and Parks combined for 58 points and 14 assists. The rest of the team scored 15 points and had two assists.
Blazers coach Gene Bartow called Kleinschmidt’s play a phenomonal effort.
“I don’t know when I’ve seen a better show,” he said. “We tried four or five different men on him. We even put a zone in on him.”
Kleinschmidt credited Thrash for making his game-saving block.
“I knew I’d beaten Wilkerson,” Kleinschmidt said. “That’s why I took the shot. Usually, when I’m doubled, I kick a pass to the open man. But I didn’t see anybody around me.”
De Paul quickly pulled to a 23-12 lead. Then the Demons went into a deep freeze and made only one basket in eight minutes. They trailed 37-29 at the half, thanks to some NBA-sized three-pointers by Shannon, who led four double-digit Blazer scorers with 22 points.
De Paul coach Joey Meyer lauded his team for its second-half comeback.
“We fought hard. We needed one more scorer,” Meyer said. “Tom was unbeliveable, and the others put their bodies on the line and set screens for Tom. I’m not hanging my head and crying.”
Neither was Kleinschmidt. But he wasn’t happy either.
“We’re tired of hearing, `You played a heck of a game,’ ” he said. “We’re tired of moral victories. We’ve got to quit talking and start doing.”
