Balladeer's Blog

*** NAIA2 ***

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – Last night the 5th seeded INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS won their very first national championship in basketball! Their opponents were the 10th seeded MIDLAND UNIVERSITY WARRIORS who, like the Wildcats’ other foes in this year’s tourney, fell by double-digits. IWU watched an early 16-7 lead melt away to a mere 19-18 advantage, following which the two teams exchanged baskets over and over again to a 31-31 tie. Just before Halftime the Wildcats scored the last 5 points of the opening period and took a 36-31 lead into the locker room. In the 2nd Half Indiana Wesleyan used runs of 9-0 and 13-4 to put more and more distance between themselves and the Warriors, culminating in a 69-52 lead with 5 minutes remaining in the game. Midland University battled their way back to a 70-63 score but that 7 point gap was the closest they would get in the remaining 2:22. The Wildcats went on to win by a final score of 78-68. Senior Jordan Weidner led his team with 21 points. * CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WILDCATS, THE 2014 NAIA2 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!  

*** NJCAA ***

FIRST ROUND – GAME SEVEN – Two final games completed Round One of the NJCAA National Tournament yesterday. In Game Seven the 19th seeded STATE FAIR COLLEGE ROADRUNNERS provided the first upset of the tourney by bringing down the 14 seeds – the SHELTON STATE BUCCANEERS. The Bucs actually led at the Half by a score of 42-38 but by the end of Regulation the Roadrunners had tied up the game at 92-92. Overtime saw the upstart Roadrunners “beep-beep” their way past the Buccaneers to win by a score of 111-99. SFC’s Joe Thomasson led the Roadrunners with 29 points while Continue reading →

*** 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 Continue reading →

*** NCCAA DIV TWO ***

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The title game was played yesterday in Division Two of the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association). The top seeded defending national champions – the OHIO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY TRAILBLAZERS took on the 2nd seeded ARLINGTON BAPTIST COLLEGE PATRIOTS for the crown. When all the dust had settled in this clash the Trailblazers had made it two national championships in a row, defeating the Patriots by a final score of 91-69.   ###   CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TRAILBLAZERS!

*** NJCAA DIV THREE ***

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – Yesterday also saw the title clash in Division Three of the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association). Since they eliminated the reigning champion Jersey Blues in the semifinals it might be appropriate in a way that the Continue reading →

*** NAIA ***

ROUND TWO GAME ONE – The 10th seeded MIDLAND UNIVERSITY WARRIORS and the 7th seeded SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS fought it out for the first slot in the Elite Eight. The Cougars got off to a quick 7-3 lead but with just 4:30 left in the Half everything was tied up at 21-21. From there the Warriors dominated til the buzzer sounded and took a 37-23 lead into the break. With just 2:06 left in the game the tally stood at 57-56, Midland. This became a 64-59 Warrior lead as the final seconds ticked off, with the Cougars making it a 64-61 final score as time expired.

ROUND TWO GAME TWO – The 9th seeded DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY PANTHERS did battle with the 8th seeded BELLEVUE UNIVERSITY BRUINS in the second game of the day yesterday. At one point in the opening Half the Panthers led the Bruins 29-19 but by Halftime the score was a much closer count of Davenport 31  Bellevue 29. In the closing 20 minutes the tension continued with any run by the Panthers met by one on the part of the Bruins. By the time all was said and done in this Instant Classic the score was Continue reading →