COLLEGE BASKETBALL: TOURNAMENT ACTION FROM MARCH 20th

*** NAIA ***

DAY TWO – GAME ONE – The unseeded SAINT GREGORY’S UNIVERSITY CAVALIERS started Day Two off by upsetting the 15th seeded WILEY COLLEGE WILDCATS. The Wildcats got off to a 6-3 lead but the Cavaliers quickly turned the tables and took a 19-10 lead. By Halftime both teams were knotted up at 30-30. With 12:51 remaining in the game St Gregory’s University held a 52-42 lead and stayed in control from there, winning by a final score of 84-69. Marty Wilkerson’s 20 points led the Cavaliers. 

DAY TWO – GAME TWO – The 10 seeds – the FREED-HARDEMAN UNIVERSITY LIONS – did battle with the unseeded MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY- NORTHERN LIGHTS in the second game of the day. The Lions shot a red-hot 68.2 % from the field in the 1st Half but the Lights kept pace thanks to 3-point shots despite shooting just 43.3% themselves. At the break the Lions clung to a slim 35-34 lead. Small runs by Freed- Hardeman were always answered by MSU-Northern and with just 33 seconds remaining to play the score stood at 66-63 in favor of the Lions. Clutch free-throws by FHU told the tale the rest of the way and the Lions advanced to Round Two with a 71-63 victory. Orlando Bass of the Lions led the scoring for both sides with 24 points.  

DAY TWO- GAME THREE – The 2nd seeded UNIVERSITY OF PIKEVILLE BEARS played the unseeded UNIVERSITY OF LINDENWOOD AT BELLEVILLE LYNX next. The Bears had SIX players score in double-digits in the game, among them Keala King who tossed in 32 points on his own. The Lynx were never really in this game and by Halftime trailed Pikeville by an embarrassing score of 60-36. A 10-2 run by LU-Belleville (appearing in their first national tournament) pulled them to within 62-46 but from there the Bears simply pressed down on the accelerator. The final score in this slaughter was a Century Club- worthy 103-76. 

DAY TWO – GAME FOUR – The fourth game of the day pitted the 7th seeded TALLADEGA COLLEGE TORNADOES against the unseeded EVANGEL UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS. The Tornadoes sank 12 0f 22 shots from 3-point range in a game that saw them advance to the Second Round for the first time ever! Everything was all tied up at 33-33 when Halftime rolled around but Talladega College opened up the 2nd Half with a 14-2 run that foreshadowed how the rest of the game would go. 46-41 was the closest the Crusaders would get the rest of the game as the Tornadoes won 88-71. Talladega’s Charles Winborne led all scorers with 38 points.  

DAY TWO – GAME FIVE – Next up the unseeded SAINT CATHARINE COLLEGE PATRIOTS provided the second upset of the day. The Patriots went toe-to- toe with the 5th seeded SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS, who were the 2013 runners-up in the national tourney. On their way to the biggest upset thus far in the 2014 tournament the Patriots shot SEVENTY PERCENT in the 1st Half yet held just a 54-44 lead at the break. Thirty-three turnovers by SCC kept the Lions in the game and when all was said and done this tightest game of the day was decided by a score of 99-97. Raymon Austin of St Catharine College led the victors with 16 points. 

DAY TWO – GAME SIX – Another game and another upset as the unseeded MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS toppled the unlucky 13 seeds – the LSU-SHREVEPORT PILOTS (riverboat pilots). The Pilots played one of their worst games of the season while the Pioneers played one of their best, and with 7:29 til Halftime MNU led the game 31-20. The talley at the break was 48-33, Pioneers, and they stayed in control throughout the 2nd Half, ultimately winning the game by a healthy 96-71 margin. MNU’s Luke Thomas recorded 22 points to lead his team.  

DAY TWO – GAME SEVEN – For the third straight year the 4th seeded COLUMBIA (MO) COLLEGE COUGARS will advance to at least the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. Last night they played the unseeded BELHAVEN COLLEGE BLAZERS in a blowout. The Cougars kicked their opponents around from the start and by Halftime had compiled a 49-24 lead. 51-30 was the closest the Blazers would get in the 2nd Half and when all the dust had settled on this rout the final score was Cougars 81  Blazers 57. For the triumphant Cougars the leading scorer was Jeremy Nolan with 15 points. 

DAY TWO – GAME EIGHT – And Day Two ended the same way it began – with an upset. The unseeded HOPE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ROYALS went up against the 12th seeded XAVIER (LA) UNIVERSITY GOLD RUSH. The Royals were playing absolutely savage defense and got off to a 20-6 lead on the favored Gold Rush. A 15-8 run by Xavier got them back into the game and they trailed by just 28-21 at the break. The Gold Rush inched back in the 2nd Half, pulling to within 3 points with 13:26 left to play. The Royals replied with a 9-1 run that kept them ahead by at least 6 points the rest of the way enroute to a 61-52 upset victory. Hope International’s Jeremy Kilgore led both teams in scoring with his 28 points. 

*** NCCAA ***

FINAL FOUR – GAME ONE – In the first game of the 2014 Final Four in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) the 4th seeded POINT LOMA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY SEA LIONS took on the top seeds – the SOUTHERN NAZARENE UNIVERSITY CRIMSON STORM. The Sea Lions proved too much for the Crimson Storm to stop, yet in turn Point Loma Nazarene was more than capable of stopping the Southern Nazarene offense. At Halftime the Sea Lions led by a score of 37-27 and kept up the pressure on both sides of the ball after the break as well, advancing to the title game by an upset score of 68-54. PLNU’s Marek Klassen had 14 points to lead the Sea Lions. 

FINAL FOUR – GAME TWO – Yesterday’s second semifinal in the NCCAA pitted the 7th seeded GRACE COLLEGE LANCERS against the 6th seeded ROBERTS WESLEYAN COLLLEGE RED HAWKS in a much tighter game. The Lancers used a huge opening Half as a springboard to victory in this matchup. By the midpoint the Red Hawks found themselves trailing 39-25 and, despite a furious rally in the 2nd Half Grace College prevailed in a 65-62 Instant Classic. The Lancers were led by Logan Irwin, who tossed in 18 points. 

*** NJCAA ***

ELITE EIGHT – GAME ONE – The top seeded INDIAN HILLS COLLEGE WARRIORS squared off against the 9th seeded SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE TEXANS to get things rolling. Despite holding a 43-33 Halftime lead the Warriors found themselves struggling to hold on in the 2nd Half as the Texans refused to say die. Weathering the storm Indian Hills College advanced to the Final Four in a 71-70 nailbiter. Roosevelt Scott of the Warriors led all scorers with 27 points.  

ELITE EIGHT – GAME TWO – A pair of double-digit seeds duked it out in this game. The 13th seeded HARCUM COLLEGE BEARS kept their upset mojo rolling against the 12th seeded TRINITY VALLEY COLLEGE CARDINALS. The hard-fighting Harcum College squad converted a 35-26 lead at the break into a 69-56 final score to fill in another slot in the Final Four. For the Bears Shevon Thompson notched 14 points to lead the way. 

ELITE EIGHT – GAME THREE – Up next was a tight clash between the 2nd seeded VINCENNES UNIVERSITY TRAILBLAZERS and the 10 seeds – the COLUMBIA STATE (TN) CHARGERS. Offense was the name of the game for both teams in the opening Half with the Trailblazers ahead at the break by a score of 48-41. The Chargers attempted a comeback but Vincennes University was able to keep them at arm’s length, taking the game  95-89. Devin Foster’s 20 points led the Trailblazers but in defeat Columbia State’s TJ Dunans put up FIFTY-TWO points by himself. 

ELITE EIGHT- GAME FOUR – The final piece of the 2014 Final Four picture for the NJCAA was resolved in this closing game of the evening. Jast as we had two favorites win out we also had two underdogs pull off upsets last night. The 11th seeded JONES COUNTY COLLEGE BOBCATS did battle with the 3rd seeded CHIPOLA COLLEGE INDIANS and found themselves all square at 43-43 come Halftime. The Bobcats got separation between them and their favored opponents, winning by a final tally of 86-79. Thaddeus Hall threw in 21 points to lead the victors.  

*** NJCAA DIV TWO ***

DAY THREE – GAME ONE – The 5th seeded PHOENIX COLLEGE BEARS were engaged in a battle for survival with the unseeded FORT SCOTT COLLEGE GREYHOUNDS in this game. The Greyhounds did their level best to pull off the upset but when all of the dust had settled in this hardcourt Armageddon the Phoenix College team were the ones to advance with a thrilling 62-57 victory. 

DAY THREE – GAME TWO – In the only other game in the Winner’s Bracket from yesterday’s games in the NJCAA Division Two National Tournament a shock for the whole nation unfolded. The top seeded CINCINATTI STATE SURGE found themselves on the losing end of a massive upset. The 8th seeded CENTRAL COLLEGE OF COLUMBUS (NE) RAIDERS toppled the presumed champions by a final score of 90-78.  

*** NCCAA CONSOLATION BRACKET ***

CONSOLATION GAME ONE – The 3rd seeded MIDAMERICA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EVANGELS were locked in hardcourt combat with the 2nd seeded COLORADO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY COUGARS. The action was hard and fast in the 1st Half, which ended with the Evangels trailing by a tight score of 44-42. After the break MACU mounted a masterful comeback, ratcheting their offense and defense up just enough for an 86-80 victory. Josh Minner of the Evangels led his team with 23 points. 

CONSOLATION GAME TWO – This game in the Consolation Bracket pitted the 5 seeds – the UNION (TN) UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS against the 8th seeded CARVER BIBLE COLLEGE COUGARS. Things proceeded as you would expect. Led by Corieon Pearson and his 26 points the Bulldogs were in reasonable control throughout this game, leading at Halftime by a score of 41-35 and ultimately going on to win by a final tally of 88-74. This game was very entertaining but not exceptional.  

*** NJCAA DIV TWO CONSOLATION BRACKET ***

The Consolation Bracket, often less charitably described as “the Loser’s Bracket”, featured four games yesterday. The ST LOUIS COLLEGE ARCHERS nicely handled the DEAN COLLEGE BULLDOGS, defeating them 92-79.   ###   In a battle of two more unseeded teams the GARRETT COLLEGE LAKERS eked out a slender 93-92 victory over the JOHN WOOD COLLEGE TRAILBLAZERS   ###   The 4th seeded SOUTH SUBURBAN COLLEGE BULLDOGS triumphed over the unseeded LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE RED HAWKS  74-71   ###   And the 2nd seeded WAYNE COUNTY COLLEGE WILDCATS took down the 3 seeds – the DES MOINES AREA COLLEGE BEARS – by a count of 68-53.