NAIA PLAYOFFS
ROUND TWO: GAME ONE – This shootout saw the COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES visit the UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA-WESTERN BULLDOGS. The Coyotes owned the opening Half, leading 28-7 by the break. From there the Bulldogs mounted a rally, pulling to within 35-21 in the 3rd Quarter before College of Idaho held on in the 4th for a 49-42 win.
ROUND TWO: GAME TWO – The defending national champions – the NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS – hosted the DORDT UNIVERSITY DEFENDERS yesterday. The 1st Quarter ended in a 7-0 Red Raiders lead. And then … the defenses dominated so thoroughly that no more points were scored the rest of the way, making 7-0 the final – if flukish – tally. Continue reading
ROUND ONE: GAME ONE – The DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS took it on the road against the MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS. This tightest game of the day was knotted up at 21-21 come Halftime. In the 3rd Quarter the Blue Hawks went up 28-21 and in the 4th each team added another Touchdown as Dickinson State beat the Orediggers 35-28. 
ROUND ONE: GAME TWO – This game pitted the DORDT UNIVERSITY DEFENDERS against the visiting OTTAWA UNIVERSITY BRAVES. Though the 1st Quarter ended in a 7-7 tie, the Defenders shut out the Braves the rest of the way. All the while, Dordt University added 14 points before the break and 14 more in the 2nd Half for a 35-7 beatdown. 
NUMBER THREE TAKES A FALL – In the NAIA the CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS hosted the number 3 team in the nation, the INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS. A 7-0 1st Quarter lead for the Cardinals became 14-3 by Halftime. After a scoreless 3rd Quarter, the teams exchanged a Touchdown apiece in the 4th as Concordia University toppled the Wildcats 21-10. 
“THAT WAS NUMBER FIIIVE!” – Over in NCAA Division Two, the KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY GOLDEN BEARS took the field against the visiting 5th ranked SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY ROCK. The Golden Bears kept the forever-overrated Rock off the scoreboard until the 4th Quarter in a 31-7 Upset. 
AND ANOTHER NUMBER FIVE FALLS – Back in the NAIA, the SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS (should be Sea Gulls) went up against their guests, the number 5 COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES. SOU put the Coyotes on Upset Alert by the Half, leading them 14-7, then carried through by winning the game 31-16. 
NUMBER THREE TAKES A FALL – In NCAA Division Two the 24th ranked MISSOURI WESTERN STATE GRIFFONS played host to the number 3 team in the nation – the PITTSBURG (KS) STATE GORILLAS. This Instant Classic saw the Gorillas on top 17-10 at Halftime but the Griffons up 24-17 in the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th, Missouri Western State held on against a Pittsburg State rally to win the game 31-30. 
WE WENT TO A FOOTBALL GAME BUT A BASKETBALL GAME BROKE OUT – Down in NCAA Division Three, the MUSKINGUM UNIVERSITY MUSKIES played the visiting WILMINGTON COLLEGE QUAKERS. Points flew like shrapnel as a 28-28 Halftime tie became 42-42 in the 3rd Quarter. The 4th saw the Muskies eke out a 64-63 triumph. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER SEVEN – In NCAA Division Two, the WINGATE UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS welcomed the number 7 team in the nation – the LENOIR-RHYNE UNIVERSITY BEARS. Halftime saw the Bulldogs on top 17-14 but the 3rd Quarter ended in a 20-20 tie. In the explosive 4th Wingate U. won the game 34-30. 
AND ANOTHER NUMBER SEVEN TAKES A FALL – Over in the NAIA, the number 9 GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS played host to the 7th ranked LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS. This was a defensive epic, with the Tigers leading by a mere 7-0 at the Half before beating the Blue Raiders 10-0. 
NUMBER EIGHT GOES TUMBLING AFTER – This game pitted D2’s 24th ranked VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS against the number 8 UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA ARGONAUTS. A 21-21 Halftime deadlock remained unchanged in the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th the Blazers pulled off a last minute 31-28 upset. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER ONE – In NCAA Division Two, the 4th ranked GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS welcomed the number 1 team in the nation – the FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS. The Lakers were on top 35-21 by Halftime, then the Bulldogs made it a 35-28 game to end the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th, Grand Valley State pulled away for a 49-28 trumph. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER FOUR – Down in NCAA Division Three, the number 7 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT WHITEWATER WARHAWKS visited the country’s 4th ranked UW-RIVER FALLS FALCONS. A 6-0 1st Quarter lead for the Warhawks became 15-7 at the Half. After the break Whitewater held off the Falcons to win the game 21-14. 
AND NUMBER SIX COMES TUMBLING AFTER – Back up in the NAIA, the FRIENDS UNIVERSITY FALCONS took the field against the visiting number 6 SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUNDBUILDERS. The Falcons had the Moundbuilders faithful worried with a 12-0 Halftime advantage. Friends University pulled further and further away in the 2nd Half for a 35-20 Upset. 
TOPPLING NUMBER THREE – In NCAA Division Three, the 14th ranked UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT LACROSSE EAGLES visited the number 3 team in the nation – the UW-WHITEWATER WARHAWKS. A 7-7 1st Quarter tie became a 17-14 Eagles advantage by Halftime. Lacrosse extended their lead to 27-17 in the 3rd Quarter, then held on in the 4th for a 37-34 victory. 
WE WENT TO A FOOTBALL GAME BUT A BASEBALL GAME BROKE OUT – NCAA Division Two’s ARKANSAS TECH WONDERBOYS traveled to face the SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE BULLDOGS. Unyielding defense was the name of the game as the Bulldogs went up 7-0 in the opening Quarter, a score that held up at Halftime and at the end of the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th, the Wonderboys came from behind for a 9-7 triumph. 
HILLSDALE AT HOME – NCAA Division Two’s storied HILLSDALE COLLEGE CHARGERS played host to the NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY TIMBER WOLVES. The Chargers proved their determination to right this disappointing season, leading the Timber Wolves 17-7 at Halftime before winning it in a 40-18 blowout. 
“THAT WAS NUMBER FIIIIIVE!” – In NCAA Division Three, the ENDICOTT COLLEGE GULLS welcomed the number 5 team in the nation – the HARDIN-SIMMONS UNIVERSITY COWBOYS. For once Endicott didn’t choke in the spotlight, leading the Cowboys 3-0, 17-3 and 37-3 in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Quarters respectively. In the 4th, a garbage time TD from HSU made the final score 37-10.
NUMBER SEVEN TAKES A FALL – Up in the NAIA, the number 15 MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS faced the visiting 7th ranked COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES. The Orediggers parlayed a 17-7 opening Quarter lead into a 34-21 Halftime advantage. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Coyotes making it a 37-35 game before Montana Tech added a 4th Quarter TD to win out 44-35. 
USCAA GAME OF THE WEEK – This USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) affair pitted the WILLIAMSON COLLEGE OF THE TRADES MECHANICS against the CAPP ACADEMY CRUSADERS. In a driving rain, the Mechanics led the Crusaders 7-0 in the 1st and 10-0 at the Half. A scoreless 3rd Quarter was followed by a CAPP rally attempt in the 4th as Williamson won the game 25-14. 
DELTA STATE TAKES DOWN DIVISION ONE – The NCAA Division Two’s DELTA STATE STATESMEN welcomed NCAA Division ONE’s MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE DELTA DEVILS yesterday. The 1st Half was pretty tight with the Delta Devils clinging to a mere 7-6 edge at the break. The Statesmen came out of the locker room on fire and seized a 22-7 lead in the 3rd Quarter before blowing out Mississippi Valley State 35-7 in the 4th. 
MARATHON GAME OF THE WEEK – To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “Never have so many football players played for so long for so few points.” The NEWBERRY COLLEGE WOLVES and their guests the EMORY & HENRY UNIVERSITY WASPS needed SIX OVERTIMES to finish their game. With that many OT’s you’d expect a score of at least forty-something points apiece instead of the 25-23 Wolves victory that we got. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER TEN – Down in NCAA Division Three, the 22nd ranked SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY RIVER HAWKS visited the number 10 CORTLAND STATE RED DRAGONS. The Red Dragons led 14-7 in the 1st Quarter and 21-14 at Halftime. A 35-21 Cortland State advantage to end the 3rd Quarter was followed by a furious River Hawks rally in the 4th as they came back to win it 38-35. 
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