EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Will Yoakum scored 31 points, Dallas Graziani added 24 details, nine helps and three steals and major-ranked Nova Southeastern beat West Liberty 111-101 on Saturday to earn the first NCAA Division II countrywide championship in plan heritage.
“They’re special,” Nova Southeastern mentor Jim Crutchfield explained, “because they’re 36-.”
The Sharks (36-), who went 33-1 final season with their lone decline coming in the Elite 8, grew to become just the sixth undefeated group to acquire the title, joining Northwest Missouri Condition (38- in 2018-19, the initial of a few straight championships), Findlay (36- in 2008-09), Fort Hays Condition (34- in 1995-96), Cal State Bakersfield (33- in 1992-93) and Evansville (29- in 1964-65).
RJ Sunahara fouled out with about five minutes left and finished with 28 details on 12-of-17 capturing for Nova Southeastern and Kobe Rodgers extra 13 details and seven rebounds.
Bryce Butler led West Liberty (33-4) with 32 details and nine rebounds. Christian Montague hit 5 of 7 from 3-level array and concluded with 19 factors, Steve Cannady and Zach Rasile scored 11 apiece and Chaz Hinds additional 10 points.
Sunahara manufactured a layup to open the scoring about a minute into the game, Graziani scored to make it 16-6 with 15:23 left in the very first 50 % and Nova Southeastern hardly ever trailed.
The Sharks, who went into the video game main Division II in scoring (102.5 for each sport), set the history for most points by a crew in an NCAA men’s or women’s championship video game at any division.
Sunahara scored 20 first-50 percent factors on 9-of-11 shooting, Yoakum manufactured 6 of 7 from the area to score 15 factors and Graziani scored 14 details with seven helps as the Sharks took a 55-48 direct into intermission. It was the greatest-scoring 50 % in D-II championship historical past.
West Liberty was referred to as for three flagrant fouls and two specialized fouls. Ben Sarson was known as for a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected immediately after he elbowed Yoakum — who performed 4 seasons for the Hilltoppers before transferring to Nova Southeastern —- on a box out early in the 2nd 50 percent. Sarson, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, started off each and every of the 35 games in which he appeared this time, averaging 10.5 points and 4.4 rebounds.
The Hilltoppers’ Malik McKinney fouled out midway as a result of the next 50 percent and then was assessed a technical foul and Montague was termed for technical with 8:15 to participate in.
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