*** NAIA ***
DAY ONE – GAME ONE – The 8th seeded EMMANUEL COLLEGE LIONS led the unseeded UNIVERSITY OF SAINT THOMAS (TX) CELTS for most of their game against each other. The Lions led by a score of 22-6 early on but by Halftime the Celts had cut that to a 30-23 advantage. Those Celts kept things close early in the 2nd Half but eventually a 17-0 run by Emmanuel College gave the Lions a commanding lead the rest of the way. What was at times a 22 point lead wound up as a 68-56 victory for Emmanuel as their team advances to the Second Round for the first time ever! Michael Stanley led the Lions with 22 points.
DAY ONE – GAME TWO – The second game of the day brought the first upset of the National Tournament for Division One of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). The unseeded UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS stunned the 9th seeded ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS in a close game that became a blowout by the end. The Battlin’ Bears actually led 11-4 early on but that just galvanized the Patriots who seized a 14-13 lead and expanded that to 45-27 by the break. In the 2nd Half UC led by at LEAST 10 points the rest of the game. By the time all was said and done the Patriots advanced by a score of 82-58. James Archie led the victors with 17 points.
DAY ONE – GAME THREE – The top seeded CAL STATE- SAN MARCOS COUGARS are making just their second-ever appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. Their First Round opponents were the unseeded OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON in this undeniable game for the ages! Things were tight all through the 1st Half with the Cougars managing a 40-37 advantage by the break. In the 2nd Half San Marcos threatened to pull away and at one point stretched the lead to 16 points before the Bison pulled closer, but never close enough as the top seeds won 88-81. The Cougars have still lost only ONE game for the 2013-2014 season. For San Marcos De’End Parker’s 20 points led the way.
DAY ONE – GAME FOUR – Two 23-win teams faced each other in this game as the 16th seeded CULVER- STOCKTON COLLEGE WILDCATS did battle with the unseeded ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM. Six Wildcat players scored in double-digits led by James Johnson who tossed in 21. Despite trailing the Firestorm 19-16 with 12 minutes til the break Culver-Stockton blazed ahead for a 44-35 Halftime lead. The Wildcats started the 2nd Half with a 30-14 run that left the game’s outcome in little doubt. In the end Culver- Stockton College advanced with a Century Club-level 101-83 triumph.
DAY ONE – GAME FIVE – The pattern of feline-themed teams winning their opening round matchups continued in Game Five. The 6 seeds – the VANGUARD UNIVERSITY LIONS – took on and took out the unseeded LIFE UNIVERSITY RUNNING EAGLES (no, not the Flying Squirrels, the Running Eagles). The Lions won almost despite themselves and had to overcome 23 turnovers to move on to the Second Round. Vanguard was led by Keith Mason, who had 27 points and 13 rebounds. The Running Eagles watched a 24-15 lead turn into a 47-39 disadvantage by the Half. Both teams exploded offensively in the closing period with the Lions notching a Century Club-level win by a score of 103-94.
DAY ONE – GAME SIX – A true Instant Classic came next in the game between the 11th seeded BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS and the unseeded WESTMINSTER (UT) COLLEGE GRIFFINS. The Griffins led through most of the opening Half with a 12-2 run in particular giving them a 37-25 lead with the buzzer just 1:31 away. The Ravens cut that to 37-30 before the break and kept up the attack to start the 2nd Half. A 9-0 run put them on top 39-37 which became 50-42 after a time and ended with Benedictine College winning the game 70-65. The Ravens, who are in search of their 3rd national championship, were led by Charlie Wallrapp’s 19 points.
Georgetown Tigers
DAY ONE – GAME SEVEN – The night’s penultimate game pitted the 14th seeded defending champions, the GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS against the unseeded WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PIONEERS. Last year the Tigers won it all playing from the 13 seed, so this year we’ll see if they can do themselves one better. Georgetown’s Monty Wilson led all scorers with 39 points in a game which saw the Tigers lead 6-5 then trail by 19-9 before settling down. A 45-40 Halftime lead for the Tigers became a 79-79 tie with 4:39 left to play. With Wilson leading the wayfrom there the end result was a 97-90 victory for the defending champions.
DAY ONE – GAME EIGHT – The 3 seeds – the WILLIAM CAREY UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS – and the unseeded PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE PANTHERS brought the evening to a close in the NAIA tournament. The Panthers were yesterday’s only “cat” mascot to fail to advance. For the Crusaders Jeremiah Dunnings and Kelvin Nixon led the scoring by contributing 21 points each. William Carey University led by as many as 22 points in the 1st Half alone and were on top 47-31 at the break. The 2nd Half saw the Crusaders lead the Panthers by an unbelievable ONE HUNDRED TWO to SEVENTY-TWO with just 3:37 remaining in the game. WCU showed a little mercy from there and won by a Century Club score of 109-92.
*** NCCAA ***
OPENING ROUND – GAME ONE – The 3rd seeded MIDAMERICA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EVANGELS and the 6th seeded ROBERTS WESLEYAN COLLEGE REDHAWKS started the action in Division One of the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association). The two teams fought to a 40-40 tie at the break and stayed toe-to -toe throughout the 2nd Half. In the end the Redhawks upset the Evangels by a final score of 90-86 in this game for the ages. Isaac Medeiros led RWC with 22 points but in defeat the Evangels’ Semar Farris led all scorers with his 35 points.
OPENING ROUND – GAME TWO – In this game the top seeded SOUTHERN NAZARENE UNIVERSITY CRIMSON STORM battled the 8 seeds – the CARVER BIBLE COLLEGE COUGARS. The Crimson Storm got a wakeup call in this contest and actually trailed the Cougars 35-32 at Halftime. In the 2nd Half SNU reasserted themselves and mounted a comeback, going on to win the game 74-63. CJ Smith of the Crimson Storm led his team with 17 points. That point total was matched on the Cougar side by Troy Swanson.
OPENING ROUND – GAME THREE – The 4th seeded POINT LOMA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY SEA LIONS and the 5th seeded UNION (TN) UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS took the stage next. In this defensive epic the Sea Lions held a 34-25 Halftime lead but in the 2nd Half the Bulldogs came growling back and gave them a run for their money all the way to the bitter end. PLNU won this nailbiter 69-67. Junior Morgan of the Sea Lions tossed in 17 points and for the Bulldogs Ashanti Day led the way with 17 points.
OPENING ROUND – GAME FOUR – The 7th seeded GRACE COLLEGE LANCERS ended the day with a dramatic upset of the 2nd seeded COLORADO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY COUGARS. The Lancers made it clear they were in it to win it when they got off to a startling 42-40 Halftime lead. As the 2nd Half wore on the hard-fighting Lancers slowly but surely managed to put a bit more distance between themselves and the Cougars, ultimately advancing with an 81-71 win. Greg Miller of Grace College led all scorers by a wide margin with 24 points.
*** NJCAA ***
ROUND TWO – GAME FIVE – The Division One tournament’s 2nd seeded VINCENNES UNIVERSITY TRAILBLAZERS got almost more than they could handle from the feisty 15 seeds – the WALLACE STATE- HANCEVILLE LIONS. The Trailblazers and Lions were a mere point apart come Halftime with Vincennes University clinging to a 36-35 lead. In the 2nd Half this battle royal continued until the Trailblazers at last got sufficient distance to sock away an 84-77 victory and advance to the Elite Eight. Wee Willie Wiley led the winners with 18 points.
ROUND TWO – GAME SIX – This battle for the sixth berth in the 2014 Elite Eight pitted the 10th seeded COLUMBIA STATE (TN) CHARGERS against the 7th seeded SALT LAKE CITY COLLEGE BEARS. The Chargers managed not just an upset but also a thrilling comeback as well. After trailing the Bears 40-33 at the break Columbia State came alive in the 2nd Half, going on to win the game by a nerve-wracking 81-78 score. Arturs Bremers topped the Chargers’ scoring list with 21 points.
ROUND TWO – GAME SEVEN – The CHIPOLA COLLEGE INDIANS came into the tourney as the 3 seeds and found themselves dealing with the 19th seeded STATE FAIR COLLEGE ROADRUNNERS in this game. The Roadrunners continued confounding the Billy Packers of the NJCAA world by staying even with the Indians all the way to a 41-41 Halftime tie. The 2nd Half was no picnic for the eventual winners the Indians as their upstart opponents kept hanging around and hanging around until late in this 91-83 donnybrook. The Indians’ Sam Cassell, Jr led Chipola College with 23 points.
ROUND TWO – GAME EIGHT – And the final piece of the Elite Eight puzzle was filled in by this clash between the 6th seeded HILL COLLEGE REBELS and the 11th seeded JONES COUNTY COLLEGE BOBCATS. The Bobcats put the Rebels on notice early that they were not intimidated and actually led at the break by a score of 34-31. The Rebels are no slouches either, of course, and after a blood-soaked 2nd Half Regulation ended with the score knotted up at 73-73. The Overtime session saw the Bobcats literally DOUBLE UP on Hill College, winning the game 91-82. JCC’s Johnny Zuppardo led all scorers with his amazing THIRTY-TWO points.
*** NJCAA DIV TWO ***
DAY TWO – GAMES ONE AND TWO – The unseeded FORT SCOTT COLLEGE GREYHOUNDS put together a breathtaking upset of the stunned 4 seeds – the SOUTH SUBURBAN COLLEGE BULLDOGS. The Greyhounds embarrassed the Bulldogs 77-59 to start Day Two. ### And speaking of embarrasing, the 5th seeded PHOENIX COLLEGE BEARS dismembered and devoured the unseeded LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE RED HAWKS by a score of 70-48.
DAY TWO – GAMES THREE AND FOUR – The 6th seeded ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE WOLVERINES pulled off an upset of their own by winning a 68-66 Instant Classic against the 3rd seeded DES MOINES AREA COLLEGE BEARS. ### Meanwhile the 7th seeded WAKE TECH EAGLES made it 3 out of 4 upsets in the Winner’s Bracket yesterday by rising up and clobbering the 2 seeds – the WAYNE COUNTY COLLEGE WILDCATS 95-72.
CONSOLATION BRACKET – There was only one game in the NJCAA Division Two’s Consolation Bracket yesterday. In what is less charitably called “the Losers Bracket” the unseeded POTOMAC STATE (WV) CATAMOUNTS won by an unlucky 13 points over the unseeded CARL SANDBURG COLLEGE CHARGERS. The final score in this game was Catamounts 83 Chargers 70.
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