The UMSL Tritons celebrate after winning the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional title, Tuesday night in Indianapolis. (Photo courtesy: UMSL Athletics)
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| #8 McKendree (20-13) | 28 | 32 | 60 |
| #2 UMSL (24-10) | 34 | 28 | 62 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The University of Missouri-St. Louis men’s basketball team claimed its first ever Midwest Regional championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Tournament’s Elite Eight, thanks to a heart-stopping 62-60 regional championship game victory, Tuesday night, over newfound rival McKendree University.
UMSL came into the regionals as the Midwest’s No. 2 seed, McKendree was the No. 8 seed, and both clubs earned dominant wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals to reach Tuesday’s championship game.
The contest was played at the University of Indianapolis’ Nicoson Hall, and was the fourth time UMSL and McKendree had played each other this season.
Both teams won tight games on the other’s home floor during the regular season, before McKendree blew UMSL away in last Sunday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship game, and most figured Tuesday’s contest would be a tight ballgame like the others.
Things began that way through the first half, with UMSL leading 34-28 at the break. But then the Tritons took control through the first part of the second half by outscoring the Bearcats 21-9 in the first 11 minutes to go ahead 55-37.
It looked like UMSL had firm control of the contest and would cruise to the biggest men’s basketball win in school history. But McKendree would not go down without a fight.
The Bearcats scored points on nine of their next 10 possessions, including three made three-pointers, to pull off a 20-2 run that tied the score at 57 with just under three minutes left in the game.
At that point, UMSL had to find a way to regroup. And they did, as grad student senior Victor Nwagbaraocha made a jumper to give the Tritons the lead again.
McKendree answered with a pair of free throws with 43 seconds left to tie it at 59.
UMSL senior Isaiah Fuller, who finished the night with a game-high 27 points, made a driving layup with 20 seconds left to give the Tritons the lead again.
McKendree standout Bryson Bultman, who had just scored to tie the game on the Bearcats’ previous possession, got fouled with 10 seconds left. Bultman made only one of the free throws though, so UMSL maintained the lead.
UMSL quickly inbounded the ball to Fuller, who was fouled immediately with eight seconds left. He missed the first free throw, but made the second to give the Tritons a two-point lead.
That set up a dramatic finish, with Bultman racing the length of the court to get into scoring possession, but then firing a pass to teammate Caleb Zurliene, who was wide open for a three-pointer that could have won the game.
Fortunately for UMSL, the shot clanged off the rim as time expired, setting off a wild celebration, which included a dog pile and lots of hugs and high-fives for the Tritons on the court, as they realized they had won the first regional championship in school history.
Advancing to the Elite Eight means UMSL is just three wins away from winning its first national championship in school history.
The Elite Eight will be played in Evansville, Ind., with the quarterfinals scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, the semifinals set for next Thursday, March 23, and the national championship game slated for Saturday, March 25.
The teams reaching the national quarterfinals will be re-seeded once all the regional title games have been played. Those matchups will be announced on Wednesday morning.
EDITOR’S NOTE: When the Elite Eight seedings were announced, UMSL was named the No. 8 seed. The Tritons will play No. 1 seed Nova Southeastern in the national quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 21.
The other matchups that day will be:
No. 2 West Liberty vs. No. 7 New Haven
No. 3 Black Hills State vs. No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth
No. 4 Cal St.-San Bernadino vs. No. 5 Lincoln Memorial