ANOTHER CHAMPION CROWNED AMID MORE COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL TOURNAMENT RESULTS

* NCCAA2 *

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The title game in the 2nd Division of the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) was played between the 2 seeds – the LANCASTER BIBLE COLLEGE CHARGERS – and the Cinderella 8 seeds – the HILLSDALE FREE WILL BAPTIST COLLEGE SAINTS. The Chargers forced the Saints to hear the chimes of midnight (for you Shakespeare fans), leading them 45-30 at Halftime enroute to a 78-65 National Championship win! Phil Carey once again led Lancaster Bible College with a Double Double of 24 points and 11 rebounds. * CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CHARGERS, THE 2015 CHAMPIONS OF NCCAA DIVISION TWO BASKETBALL! *  

* NAIA2 *

FINAL FOUR – FIRST BERTH – The Defending Champions go down! The 8th seeded DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY PANTHERS stunned the top seeded Defending Champs of NAIA2 basketball – the INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS. An edge-of-your- seat 1st Half ended with the Wildcats on top by just 41-38 and the 2nd Half was just as close. With just 1:06 left to play the score stood at 75-75, the 12th tie of the game. The Panthers made their move and knocked off IWU by a final score of 79-75. Nick Gamble had 19 points to lead Davenport U.

FINAL FOUR – SECOND BERTH – This game pitted the 2 seeds – the storied EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY EAGLES, whom I like to call the Aeronauts – against the (BD) SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS. After 10 lead changes in the opening Half the Eagles had eked out a 38-36 edge over the Raiders by the midpoint buzzer. After the break it was more back-and- forth battling until Embry-Riddle broke a 60-60 tie with a 9-0 run that left Southern Oregon chasing them the rest of the way. The Eagles moved on to their 2nd Final Four appearance 79-71. Cesar Pastrana led ERAU with 26 points.   

FINAL FOUR – THIRD BERTH – In a 5 seed over 4 seed upset the (5) DAKOTA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY TIGERS toppled the (4) COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES. Though the Coyotes got off to a 19-7 lead early on the Tigers came storming back to take a 39-36 lead at Halftime. After the break Dakota Wesleyan eventually built up a double-digit lead which stood at 58-45 with 13 minutes left in the game. College of Idaho refused to say die, however, and pulled to within 79-76 with just under a minute to play. Clutch free-throw shooting by the Tigers told the tale from there as DWU moved on by a score of 88-80. Trae Bergh led the victors with 19 points while his teammate Luke Bamberg notched a Double Double of 17 points and 12 rebounds.    

FINAL FOUR – LAST BERTH – The 3 seeds – the CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES – took the court against the 11th seeded UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS for this Final Four berth. The Cougars had worked their way out to a 19-14 lead over the Golden Eagles, only to watch Cornerstone put together a 20-9 run to take a 34-28 lead into Halftime. In the 2nd Half the Golden Eagles stretched that out to a 49-36 advantage but St Francis eventually cut that down to a much tighter 52-48 lead. For the remaining 8 minutes of the game Cornerstone once again got more and more separation, ultimately winning the contest 75-64. Travis Wells tossed in 20 points for the Golden Eagles while teammate Ben Lanning recorded a Double Double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.  

* NCAA DIVISION THREE *

FINAL FOUR – FIRST BERTH – A masterpiece of defensive basketball was on the slate for this game between the VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE MARLINS and the RANDOLPH- MACON COLLEGE YELLOW JACKETS. By Halftime the Marlins had put the Yellow Jackets on Upset Alert, leading them 24-23. After the break both squads continued playing smothering defense but Virginia Wesleyan prevailed, toppling Randolph-Macon in a 49-47 nailbiter. Greg Montgomery led the Marlins with his 14 points.  

FINAL FOUR – SECOND BERTH – In this game the BABSON COLLEGE BEAVERS took the court against the TRINITY (CT) BANTAMS for the right to move on to the Final Four. Forty minutes wasn’t enough for these two teams as a 41-33 Halftime lead for the Bantams over the Beavers turned into a 66-66 tie to end Regulation. After coming back to force Overtime Babson took control in the extra session, outscoring Trinity 10-3 to win by a final score of 76-69. John Wickey’s 23 points led the Beavers.  

FINAL FOUR – THIRD BERTH – This game pitted the AUGUSTANA (IL) COLLEGE VIKINGS against the MARIETTA COLLEGE PIONEERS. The Vikings folded, spindled and mutilated the Pioneers to such a degree that they might be rethinking their life choices today. By the break Augustana College had seized an improbable FIFTY to TWENTY lead over Marietta College. In the 2nd Half the Vikings put up ANOTHER 50 points to the 31 scored by the Pioneers for a Century Club-level 100-51 blowout win. Augustana’s Hunter Hill tossed in 17 points to lead his team.  

FINAL FOUR – LAST BERTH – There’s excellent defensive play and then there’s just incredibly sloppy offense. Sadly for a battle to reach the Final Four this game was the latter. The UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT STEVENS POINT POINTERS and the EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY TIGERS played a truly embarrassing game yesterday. At Halftime the Pointers led the Tigers 23-8 … yes, EIGHT. When all was said and done UW-Stevens Point moved on by a hang-your-head-in- shame tally of 45-28. Stephen Pelkofer’s 11 points led the victors.

* CONSOLATION GAMES *

NCCAA2 THIRD PLACE GAME – The originally 4th seeded DALLAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE CRUSADERS took on the originally 3rd seeded GRACE BIBLE COLLEGE TIGERS in this game. The Crusaders trailed the Tigers 50-40 after an offense-filled 1st Half of play. Regrouping in the locker room Dallas Christian College came storming back for an 86-82 comeback win. Trent Dawson and Trey Lindsey each had 20 points for the Crusaders.  

NCCAA2 – FIFTH PLACE GAME – The originally TOP seeded OHIO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY TRAILBLAZERS fell to this 5th Place game against the 10th seeded MANHATTAN CHRISTIAN COLLEGE THUNDER after their early dismissal from the title chase. By Halftime the Trailblazers   led the Thunder by a tight score of 35-31 but got a bit more separation after the break for a win by the final score of 78-68. Evin Bartlett’s 19 points led Ohio Christian University.  

MUCH MORE TO COME IN A MOMENT …