COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NAIA FINAL FOUR, NJCAA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT, CCCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

*** NAIA ***

NAIA FINAL FOUR – GAME ONE – The 5th seeded INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS and the (unseeded) SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE played in last night’s First Semifinal in NAIA2 basketball. In a tale of two Halves the upstart Fire team seemed to be threatening an upset once again, hanging around IWU who held just a 43-37 lead at the break. The 2nd Half saw the Wildcats begin to get more separation, and considering the fact that IWU shot 54% from the field and SIXTY-FOUR percent from 3-point range it’s a bit surprising that the final score was as mild as this: Wildcats 98  Fire 77. * INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY PLAYS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TUESDAY NIGHT *

NAIA FINAL FOUR – GAME TWO – In this Second Semifinal in NAIA2 basketball the 10th seeded MIDLAND UNIVERSITY WARRIORS did to the (unseeded) ROBERT MORRIS (IL) UNIVERSITY EAGLES the same thing world leaders like Putin do to the weak, inept and crooked little man named Barack Obama on a regular basis: namely they folded, spindled and mutilated them. For a Semifinal clash this game seemed instead like a November game between mismatched teams. In the role of Obama RMU seemed impotent and confused much of the time while the Warriors played with skill and intensity, shooting 60% in the 1st Half and SIXTY-EIGHT percent in the 2nd. The Warriors won 100-61. * MIDLAND UNIVERSITY PLAYS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TUESDAY NIGHT *

*** CCCAA ***

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The SANTA ROSA COLLEGE BEAR CUBS came into this title tilt as the top seeded team from the NorCal Division while their opponents, the SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY COLLEGE WOLVERINES came in as the 2nd seeded team from the SoCal Division. The Bear Cubs were playing in their very first CCCAA Championship Game and the Wolverines were far from veterans themselves, playing in just their second such event. San Bernardino Valley led at Halftime by a tight score of 32-29 but in the 2nd Half Santa Rosa made their move. With 8:53 left in the game the Bear Cubs held a 54-47 lead but the Wolverines refused to go away and tied the game at 67-67 with only 52 seconds left to play. Santa Rosa’s Kai Drewry made a ricochet shot that made it a 69-67 game and from there clutch free throws gave the Bear Cubs a 73-67 victory. * CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BEAR CUBS *     

*** NJCAA ***

FIRST ROUND – 15 vs 18 – The 15th seeded WALLACE STATE LIONS and the 18th seeded WESTCHESTER COLLEGE VIKINGS played through Regulation and TWO OVERTIMES last night before a winner was decided. The teams exchanged leads throughout the 1st Half with the Vikings clinging to a 34-33 lead at the break. The 2nd Half started with Westchester seemingly in control and with just 10:26 remaining in the game the Vikings had extended their lead to 63-46. The Lions mounted a comeback and tied the game 75-75 as Regulation ended. The First Overtime ended with things knotted up again at 90 points apiece. Finally, with just 8/10ths of a second remaining in the Second Overtime Wallace State’s Jestin Lewis broke the new 99-99 tie with a lethal layup to send the Lions to the 2nd Round by a score of 101-99.

FIRST ROUND – 12 vs 21 – The 12th seeded TRINITY VALLEY COLLEGE CARDINALS played their first National Tournament game since 1995 last night against the 21st seeded PRATT COLLEGE BEAVERS. The Cardinals were determined to make the most of their return and, guided by their Head Coach Kris “Bucket” Baumann held a 31-27 Halftime lead. Much later, with 2:10 left to play the Cardinals led 64-59, which became a nerve-wracking 66-65 advantage with only 10 seconds remaining. A Malcolm Riley free throw sealed the 68-65 win for Trinity Valley, who advance to Round Two. 

FIRST ROUND – 9 vs 24 – The 9th seeded SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE TEXANS battled a very game 24th seeded team – the CAPE FEAR COLLEGE SEA DEVILS. The Sea Devils exploited the Texans’ weakness – transition defense – to stay reasonably close most of the way in this opening day clash. A 45-38 South Plains lead at Halftime had turned into just a 68-65 advantage in the 2nd Half before the Texans asserted themselves over the Sea Devils, getting enough separation for a 93-81 victory. South Plains College moves on to the next round. 

FIRST ROUND – 16 vs 17 – The NEW MEXICO COLLEGE THUNDERBIRDS came in as the 16 seeds and the NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M GOLDEN NORSEMEN came in as the 17 seeds in what – on paper – should have been one of the closest games of the night. In reality the Golden Norsemen played one of their worst games of the 2013-2014 season statistically, and, combined with an authoritative performance by the Thunderbirds, resulted in a 35-25 New Mexico lead at the break. Even the Thunderbird bench outscored the Golden Norsemen bench by a margin of 17-8 as New Mexico advanced by a final score of 79-62. 

FIRST ROUND – 13 vs 20 – The 20th seeded WALTERS STATE SENATORS did battle with the 13th seeded HARCUM COLLEGE BEARS in this opening round game. These two teams swapped leads 10 times and were tied up 6 times in the 1st Half, including at the buzzer, which saw the Bears and Senators go to their locker rooms knotted up at 44-44. Walters State, which had led by 7 points at one point in the 1st Half, had compiled a 53-49 advantage to start the 2nd. Eventually Harcum College runs of 10-0 and 19-3 enabled the Bears to cement a come-from- behind triumph as their 97-80 win propelled them into the Second Round. 

FIRST ROUND – 10 vs 23 – The 10th seeded COLUMBIA STATE (TN) CHARGERS endured a dismal 2 for 13 shooting performance from their leading scorer TJ Dunans in the 1st Half of their opening round game against the 23rd seeded CENTRAL GEORGIA TECH TITANS. The Titans were quick to exploit Columbia State’s dry spell, at one point sinking three 3-point shots on four trips to the Chargers’ side of the court. Despite all that Columbia State still led at the break, 38-31. TJ Dunans got hot in the 2nd Half, sealing the doom of the upset-minded Titans, and was even at the center of a 16-2 run which gave the Chargers a 56-37 lead. Dunans would toss in 29 points total in the game, leading his team to the 2nd Round by way of last night’s 80-58 rout of the Titans.