Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

OUAZ Athletics

Kam Malbrough - March 20, 2021
Mid-South Images
82
Winner Northwestern UNW 17-3
75
OUAZ OUAZ 13-6
Winner
Northwestern UNW
17-3
82
Final
75
OUAZ OUAZ
13-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Northwestern UNW 41 41 82
OUAZ OUAZ 36 39 75

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Title Run Ends for Spirit in Championship Game

WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The OUAZ men's basketball team ran into one of the hottest teams in the country in the championship game of the NCCAA DI Men's Basketball National Championship on Saturday evening and Northwestern (Minn.) held off the feisty Spirit 82-75 to win the national championship.

OUAZ (13-6) wasn't able to get enough stops to slow the Northwestern (17-3) offense as the Eagles shot 51.7 percent from the field. UNW also went 11 of 24 from beyond the arc after averaging just six 3-pointers made per game during the season.

Despite that, the Spirit was always in striking distance and even held the lead with 13:08 to play in the game. The deciding run came when UNW scored seven straight points to open a 65-57 lead with 6:44 remaining. OUAZ would not get closer than five the rest of the game.

After shooting 57.1 percent in the first half, OUAZ wasn't able to maintain that mark and they finished the night at 46.8 percent. The Spirit was 9 of 29 from beyond the arc and they recorded only 11 assists. They did finish with a 36-26 advantage in the paint and with a 35-33 edge in rebounds.

Josiah De'laCerda led all players in the game with 20 points – his fifth 20-point performance of the season and second straight – on 9 of 13 shooting. De'laCerda scored 15 of those points in the first half and he also knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.

Kam Malbrough added 18 points with 16 coming in the second half. He led the team with three assists. Marcus Williams scored 12 points and Kolten Hitt added 10. Devin Collins gave the Spirit nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Northwestern – which ended the season with nine straight wins – had all five starters score in double figures with Henry Fahnbulleh leading the Eagles with 17 points.

After the game, De'laCerda was named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
Print Friendly Version