COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MORE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT ACTION

* NAIA2 *

ELITE EIGHT – FIRST BERTH – The (BD) SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS took on the (BD) GRACE COLLEGE LANCERS for this berth in the Elite Eight. The Raiders trailed the Lancers 39-35 at Halftime but pressed down on the accelerator after the break, roaring ahead for a 68-62 victory. Jordan West led SOU with THIRTY-TWO points while teammate Tim Weber notched a Double Double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.

ELITE EIGHT – SECOND BERTH – The 11 seeds – the UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS – played the 6th seeded MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS. The upset-minded Cougars seized a 33-26 advantage by the midpoint of the game but then had to hold on desperately against the powerful Mustang comeback attempt. In the end St Francis advanced with a slim 72-70 victory. Austin Fox had 23 points to lead the Cougars.  

ELITE EIGHT – THIRD BERTH – This game pitted the 8th seeded DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY PANTHERS against the 9 seeds – the MOUNT MERCY COLLEGE MUSTANGS. The Panthers were clinging to a 35-34 edge to end a savage back and forth 1st Half. After the break things remained just as tight all the way to the final buzzer, with Davenport University moving on to the Elite Eight in a 70-67 game for the ages. Bishop Robinson led the Panthers with THIRTY-ONE points.

ELITE EIGHT – FOURTH BERTH – The top seeded Defending Champions of NAIA2 basketball – the INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS – took the court against the 16th seeded WARNER PACIFIC COLLEGE KNIGHTS in this game. Some smelled an upset in the air as the Wildcats were down 39-37 at Halftime. Such thoughts were disspelled in the 2nd Half as Indiana Wesleyan stormed from behind to defeat the Knights 79-71. For the Wildcats Jacob Johnson led with a Double Double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.   

ELITE EIGHT – FIFTH BERTH – This game was a clash between the 2 seeds – the EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY EAGLES – whom I like to call the Aeronauts – and the 11th seeded UNION (KY) BULLDOGS. The storied Eagles flexed their hardcourt muscles, taking a 47-41 lead into the Half and then extending that to an 89-75 victory. Dalton Barnes tossed in 21 points to lead Embry-Riddle.

ELITE EIGHT – SIXTH BERTH – In the 5 spot the DAKOTA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY TIGERS squared off against the (BD) ASHFORD UNIVERSITY SAINTS. The Tigers were in charge on both sides of the ball in the 1st Half and led the Saints 36-23 by Halftime. After the break Dakota Wesleyan kept up the pressure, ultimately winning the game 65-49. Jalen Voss of the Tigers put up 21 points to lead his team.  

ELITE EIGHT – SEVENTH BERTH – This game found the 4 seeds – the COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES – in a hardcourt battle with the (BD) CARDINAL STRITCH UNIVERSITY WOLVES. The Coyotes parlayed a 39-35 Halftime lead over the Wolves into an authoritative 99-80 rout by the time the final buzzer sounded. THIRTY-TWO points from Demetrius Perkins led College of Idaho.  

ELITE EIGHT – FINAL BERTH – This berth was being fought over by the 3rd seeded CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES and the 14 seeds – the CONCORDIA (OR) CAVALIERS. The Golden Eagles showed the Cavaliers that they just couldn’t keep up with them and by the break led the game 52-37. From there Cornerstone kept Concordia at a healthy distance all the way to a 97-78 victory. Kyle Steigenga once again led the Golden Eagles with a Double Double of 23 points and 11 rebounds while teammate Ben Lanning notched a Double Double of his own with 17 points and 11 rebounds.   

* NCCAA2 *

FINAL FOUR – GAME ONE – The 8th seeded HILLSDALE FREE WILL BAPTIST COLLEGE SAINTS continue to be the biggest story at this year’s tournament. In the previous round they knocked off the NUMBER ONE defending champs at Ohio Christian University. Before that Piedmont International fell to them. Yesterday Hillsdale Baptist put the 4th seeded DALLAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE CRUSADERS on upset alert with a 30-25 Halftime lead, then carried through with a 65-56 victory. Phil Carey led the Saints with 21 points. 

FINAL FOUR – GAME TWO – This Semifinal pitted the 2nd seeded LANCASTER BIBLE COLLEGE CHARGERS against the 3 seeds – the GRACE BIBLE COLLEGE TIGERS. The 1st Half was a tale of two suffocating defenses which limited the score at the midpoint to just 22-21 in favor of the Tigers. The Chargers’ offense came alive after the Halftime adjustments and went on to an authoritative 64-52 win for a trip to the Championship Game. LBC’s C.J. Dunston recorded a Double Double for the Chargers with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

* CCCAA FINAL FOUR *

FIRST SEMIFINAL – This game pitted the SoCal Division’s 2nd seeded team – the EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE HUSKIES – against the NorCal Division’s top seeded MERRITT COLLEGE THUNDERBIRDS. An action-packed 1st Half ended with the score knotted up at 44-44. After the break the Huskies began to get more and more separation from the Thunderbirds, going on to win the game by a final tally of 94-83. Primitivo Gomez led East Los Angeles College with a Double Double of 23 points and 12 rebounds.  

SECOND SEMIFINAL – In the other game in the CCCAA Final Four the SoCal’s top seeded SADDLEBACK COLLEGE GAUCHOS took on the NorCal’s 2 seeds – the CANADA COLLEGE COLTS. The Gauchos seemed in trouble for awhile in this contest and trailed the Colts 32-22 at the Half. Regrouping in the locker room Saddleback College came out and tied the game up at 63-63 by the end of Regulation. In the Overtime session the Gauchos outscored Canada College 12-5 for a 75-68 triumph. Conor Clifford’s 20 points led Saddleback College. It will be Gauchos vs Huskies for the CCCAA title! 

* NCAA DIVISION TWO *

DAY ONE – GAME ONE – In the very odd format that D2 uses their First Round got underway yesterday with just 4 games. In this game one of the 3 seeds – the CAL BAPTIST UNIVERSITY LANCERS – took on a 6 seed – the CHICO STATE WILDCATS. Both offenses struggled in the 1st Half, resulting in a Halftime tally of just Lancers 27  Wildcats 24. At the end of an offense-packed 2nd Half Cal Baptist won the game 67-61. Gelaun Wheelwright led the Lancers with 20 points while his teammate Taj Spencer had a Double Double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.   

DAY ONE – GAME TWO – A huge upset followed in this game, which saw one of the 2 seeds fall. A 7 seed – the SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY FALCONS – showed they were in the game to win it by seizing a 38-36 edge over the 2nd seeded BYU-HAWAII SEASIDERS by the break. In the 2nd Half the Falcons got even more separation from the Seasiders for an 81-69 win. SPU’s Mitch Penner led his team with 19 points.  

DAY ONE – GAME THREE – A 5 seed over 4 seed upset followed next in the game between the (5) CAL POLY- POMONA BRONCOS and the (4) DIXIE STATE RED STORM. The Broncos held a slight 27-24 lead over the Red Storm at Halftime and went on to win this Instant Classic by a final score of 62-60. Terrence Drisdom of Cal Poly-Pomona had 18 points to lead the Broncos.   

DAY ONE – GAME FOUR – As expected the only 1 seed to see action yesterday won their First Round game. That 1 seed – the AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY COUGARS – faced the 8th seeded WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY WOLVES. At Halftime the score was knotted up at 34-34 but after the intermission the Cougars made their move. In the end they got enough separation from the Wolves for a 75-67 win and a trip to the Second Round. Troy Leaf led APU with THIRTY-SIX points!  

* CONSOLATION GAMES *

NCCAA2 – GAME ONE – The top seeded but already out-of-the- running OHIO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY TRAILBLAZERS made up some of their embarrassment yesterday against the 5th seeded PORTLAND BIBLE COLLEGE WILDCATS. They didn’t exactly do it in style, though, as the Wildcats trailed by just 41-39 at the midpoint and in the end the Trailblazers won by an even more slender score of 76-75. Evin Bartlett’s 22 points led OCU.   

NCCAA2 – GAME TWO – The 10 seeds – the MANHATTAN CHRISTIAN COLLEGE THUNDER – took the court against the 6th seeded UNIVERSITY OF VALLEY FORGE PATRIOTS. The Thunder were down by 38-37 at Halftime but made their comeback in the 2nd Half, defeating the Patriots 85-81. Sage Ruis notched a Double Double for Manhattan Christian with 30 points and 10 rebounds.

* NJCAA DIVISION THREE *

SEMIFINAL ONE – The first clash between this year’s Final Four teams pitted the 2 seeds – the RICHLAND COLLEGE THUNDER DUCKS – against the sole remaining unseeded team – the HOSTOS COLLEGE CAIMANS. The Caimans were very much in the game at Halftime, trailing the Thunder Ducks by just 42-40. After the break Richland College took control of the game, outscoring Hostos College to the tune of 91-76. Ishmael Donzo’s 21 points led the Thunder Ducks.  

SEMIFINAL TWO – Next came the game between the other two Final Four teams for 2015 – the top seeded ROCK VALLEY COLLEGE GOLDEN EAGLES and the 4 seeds – the ROCHESTER TECH YELLOW JACKETS. The Golden Eagles kept putting more and more distance between themselves and the Yellow Jackets throughout the game, turning a 36-28 advantage at the break into a 73-53 triumph. Quentin Canty tossed in 15 points to lead Rock Valley College. IT WILL BE THE THUNDERDUCKS VS THE GOLDEN EAGLES FOR THE TITLE.  

* NCAA DIVISION THREE *

ELITE EIGHT – FIRST BERTH – The TRINITY (CT) BANTAMS took the court against the favored BATES COLLEGE BOBCATS and proceeded to kick butt. By the break the upstart Bantams led the Bobcats 33-22 and after all the dust had settled and the final buzzer had sounded Trinity advanced with a 79-62 win. The Bantams’ Jaquann Starks led his team with 20 points.

ELITE EIGHT – SECOND BERTH – Meanwhile the VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE MARLINS notched another upset of their own, this time against the DICKINSON COLLEGE RED DEVILS. A 30-26 Halftime lead for the Marlins over the Red Devils eventually became a victory by the final score of 75-65. Breven Lyons put up 17 points to lead Virginia Wesleyan College.  

ELITE EIGHT – THIRD BERTH – The game between the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT STEVENS POINT POINTERS and the EMORY UNIVERSITY EAGLES came up next. The Pointers seized a 30-20 advantage by the intermission and then followed that up with a 73-53 smackdown win to advance. Stephen Pelkofer led UW-Stevens Point with his 20 points.  

ELITE EIGHT – FOURTH BERTH – In this game the AUGUSTANA (IL) COLLEGE VIKINGS squared off against the UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS. The Vikings flexed their offensive muscles early, taking a 38-27 lead into the locker room at Halftime. In the 2nd Half the Purple Raiders tried to mount a comeback but Augustana College succesfully fended them off for an 82-69 victory. Ben Ryan’s 26 points led the way for the Vikings.

ELITE EIGHT – FIFTH BERTH – A roundball battle between the MARIETTA COLLEGE PIONEERS and the SAINT OLAF COLLEGE OLES was on tap next. The favored Oles were on top 36-29 at the break but in the 2nd Half the Pioneers came storming back to win the game by a final tally of 79-72. Garrett Stephenson contributed 17 points to lead Marietta College to this upset win.

ELITE EIGHT – SIXTH BERTH – The EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY TIGERS must have laughed at the thought of being underdogs to the UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN (MN) EAGLES given how things turned out. The Tigers led 39-25 at Halftime on their way to a 70-46 rout of the Eagles. Jamil Samuel had a Double Double for East Texas Baptist with his 14 points and 11 rebounds.  

ELITE EIGHT – SEVENTH BERTH – Defense was the order of the day in this hardcourt rumble between the BABSON COLLEGE BEAVERS and the JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY BLUE JAYS. The Blue Jays were primed for the upset at the break, holding a 30-25 edge only to have the Beavers come from behind for a 49-47 victory. Babson’s Joey Flannery led the Beavers with 21 points.

ELITE EIGHT – FINAL BERTH – The RANDOLPH- MACON COLLEGE YELLOW JACKETS eliminated the SAINT JOHN FISHER COLLEGE CARDINALS next. The Yellow Jackets converted a 29-26 lead at Halftime into a 64-57 victory to fill the final berth in the 2015 Elite Eight. Joe Hassell logged a Double Double for Randolph-Macon College with 21 points and 10 rebounds.