KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [
Bracket |
First and Second Round Schedule |
Watch Live] Two CCC teams continue onto the second round of the NAIA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament.
College of Idaho def. William Penn (Iowa), 76-72
The College of Idaho opened the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament with a 76-72 victory over William Penn to advance to the second round. The Yotes built an early advantage, shooting 50 percent from the field in the first half to take a 41-29 lead at the break and later extending the margin to 17 points in the second half. William Penn rallied late and briefly took a 72-71 lead with under a minute remaining, but College of Idaho sealed the win at the free-throw line in the final seconds. Tucker Tiddens led the Yotes with 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench, helping the second unit account for 40 of the team’s 76 points. Conner Sheets added 15 points while going a perfect 7-for-7 at the line, Rey Johnston finished with 14 points and three blocks, and Utrillo Morris chipped in 13 points and four assists. College of Idaho went 23-of-32 from the free-throw line and committed just eight turnovers in the victory. Malik Larane paced William Penn with 19 points. With the win, the Yotes improve to 21-10 overall and advance to face host Northwestern (Iowa) in the second round tomorrow.
Yote Recap
Eastern Oregon Univeristy def. LSU Alexandria, 89-78 (OT)
Eastern Oregon advanced with a 89-78 overtime upset over LSU Alexandria in the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament Opening Round. The Mountaineers trailed 36-30 at halftime before battling back in the second half. Logan Orchard converted a two-pointer and free throw with 48 seconds remaining to tie the game at 67-67 and force overtime. EOU took control in the extra period, opening with a five-point surge before using a 9-0 run to pull away and secure the victory. James Bodily led the Mountaineers with 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including four three-pointers. Keilan Torkornoo added a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds along with three blocks. Jordan Decuir paced LSU-Alexandria with 20 points. With the win, Eastern Oregon advances to face Langston (Okla.) in the second round tomorrow.
Mountaineer? Recap
Arizona Christian Univeristy def. Corban Univeristy, 71-50
Corban saw its postseason run come to an end with a 71-50 loss to Arizona Christian in the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament Opening Round. Arizona Christian controlled the contest early, building a double-digit halftime lead and extending the margin to as many as 26 points in the second half. Corban struggled offensively, shooting 34 percent from the field in the matchup. Joe Gould paced the Warriors with 12 points and four rebounds, while Anjay Cortez added 11 points and four rebounds. T.J. Zimmermann finished with five points for Corban. Arizona Christian had four players reach double figures, led by 14 points from Ese Onakpoma. Corban concludes the season with a 17-15 overall record after capturing the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament title.
Warrior Recap
The Master's (Calif.) def. Lewis-Clark State College, 88-80
Lewis-Clark State’s season came to a close with an 88-80 loss to The Master’s in the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament Opening Round. John Lustig led the Warriors with 21 points and became the program’s all-time leading scorer, finishing his career with 1,463 points to surpass the previous record set in 1991. Dylan Skaife also scored 21 points with four three-pointers, while Peyton Nordland added 14 points. LC State held a 40-36 lead at halftime in the back-and-forth contest before The Master’s pulled away midway through the second half. The Mustangs sealed the win at the free-throw line, finishing 24-of-29 compared to LC State’s 6-of-12. The Warriors shot 50 percent from the field and made 10 three-pointers, with both teams recording 26 rebounds. Lewis-Clark State concludes the season with a 24-8 overall record.
Warrior Recap
Keiser (Fla) def. Oregon Tech, 94-90 (OT)
Oregon Tech’s season came to a close with a 94-90 overtime loss to Keiser in the opening round of the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship. The Owls battled back from a nine-point halftime deficit and forced overtime after a late basket from Jared Sucher tied the game at 82-82 in the final minute of regulation. Oregon Tech scored the first four points of the extra period, but Keiser closed the game with a late run to secure the victory. Sucher paced the Owls with 21 points, while Dakota Reber added 19 points in his final collegiate game. Owen Nathan recorded a career-high 17 points, and Jackson Cooper nearly posted a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. Grant Tull also reached double figures with 10 points. Despite the loss, OIT controlled the glass with a 48-37 rebounding advantage and had five players score in double figures. Jaylen Lee led Keiser with a game-high 39 points. The Owls conclude the season with a 19-11 overall record.
Owl Recap