Point Lookout, Mo. - Grace University (Ind.) became the first un-seeded team to reach the elite-eight with a 90-81 overtime victory over third-seeded Morningside College (Iowa) at the 2008 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship. The 17^th-annual event is being held at the Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of the College of the Ozarks (Mo.). 

David Swanson broke a 76-76 tie with a three-point play with two minutes remaining in overtime, the third of the tournament, to give Grace (Ind.) a 79-76 lead. Austin Kaiser scored the next four points putting the Lancers up five points with 1:30 left. Grace increased the lead to nine points, the largest of the game, with a 9-0 run that sealed the victory for the Lancers down the stretch as the No. 3 seed Mustangs made only three field goals in the overtime frame.

Grace opened the game on a 5-0 run before Morningside countered with Thomas Pargett scored the Mustangs first five points to tie the game. Morningside increased their lead to four points (22-15) with ten minutes remaining but Grace rallied to close the half out-scoring the Mustangs 30-15 taking a 45-37 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, despite Morningside shooting 13-for-34 (38%) in the first half, went on a 7-2 run capped by a Seth Atkins basket that tied the game at 52-52 reclaiming the lead after completing the three-point play. It was Morningside's first lead since the six minute mark in the first half (32-31).

The overtime frame belonged to Grace wrapping up the second major upset of the 2008 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship. Grace College had four players score in double-figures with Marcus Moore leading the charge with 25 points on 7-for-13 shooting with included 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. Johnson added 23 points and a team-high seven rebounds on an 8-for-18 performance making four three pointers. Eric Gaff and Austin Kaiser added 12 and 10 points respectively. The Lancers shot 48 percent in the game and out-rebounded their opponent 45-42 adding 20 assists. Grace was 14-of-20 at the charity stripe.

Morningside College will conclude their season at 29-4 overall getting a double-double and team-high 17 points from senior Jack Rother making 7-for-16 from the field adding 11 rebounds. Seth Atkins had 14 points making 6-of-7 at the free throw line as Thomas Pargett was 7-for-11 with 16 points adding five boards. The Mustangs were 31-for-75 from the field (41%) making 11-of-15 from the free throw line, two of which were made by Atkins with 48 seconds left forcing overtime. Morningside had 17 offensive rebounds compared to 16 for Grace and had three more steals in the game (9-6).

Grace College (Ind.), now 26-9 overall, advances to play the winner of #6 Evangel University and #11 Oregon Tech (9:30 p.m.) tomorrow in the Elite-Eight at 9 p.m. eastern. The 32-team, single-elimination tournament concludes on Tuesday, March 18.