Mustangs outlast Raiders in opening round thriller
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- Sparked by a defensive intensity that was lacking in the first half, fourth-seeded Mount Mercy put together an improbable comeback to defeat fifth-seeded Southern Oregon, 98-97, in overtime in the first round of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship on Wednesday at Keeter Gymnasium.
The Mustangs (26-7) will face top-seeded Saint Francis (Ind.) in a second round match up on Friday at 10:15 a.m. The Cougars (30-4), the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament and the top-ranked team in the country, pulled away late in a 96-81 victory over Dakota State (S.D.) on Wednesday. Saint Francis is looking for its second national title in six years, having won the 2010 NAIA Division II national championship.
Mount Mercy's chances of surviving the opening round looked bleak in the first half. Southern Oregon shot nearly 63 percent from the floor -- most on open looks at the basket -- while building a 15-point lead. The Mustangs had it down to 11, 58-47, by intermission and started the second period with a 10-2 run to get back in the game.
After the Raiders pushed their lead back to 10 with 12:51 to go, Mount Mercy turned the tide again, this time with a 12-2 spurt to tie the game at 71-71 with 9:21 remaining. The Mustangs took their largest lead, 82-75, on a free throw by Sheawn Bedford, Jr., with just under six minutes left. Then it was Southern Oregon's turn to make a comeback.
The Raiders knotted the score at 86-86 with 2:24 to play and even had a chance to win the game when Alex Houston was called for a loose ball foul with two seconds to go and Mount Mercy leading, 90-89. Jordan West only managed 1-of-2 free throws and after Bedford's desperation 3-pointer bounced off the back of the rim at the buzzer, we had overtime.
The lead changed hands six times in the extra period, with the Mustangs taking the lead for good when Houston tipped in a missed jumper by Chris Ford with nine seconds remaining. On Southern Oregon's ensuing possession, Mount Mercy knocked the ball out of bounds under the Raider basket with three seconds left. After a timeout, the Raiders' Ben DeSaulnier, who already had a game-high 26 points, took a step-back 3-pointer that bounced off the iron, clinching the Mustangs' second-straight appearance in the second round.
Houston finished with 18 points and six rebounds for the Mustangs. Bedford nailed four 3-pointers while scoring 15 points and grabbing six boards. Tre Wagner and CJ Parker added 11 points each. Derik Gogg and Antwain Strong kept Mount Mercy in the game early and put up nice numbers off the bench. Gogg tied a career high with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Strong chipped in nine points and hauled down a career-best seven boards. Strong also had three assists.
DeSaulnier's 26 points led the Raiders (24-9). West had 23 points and six rebounds, Joel Spear 14 points and eight boards, Clay Sierra 12 points and five rebounds and Kenny Meyer 10 points, six boards and five assists.