MCC News
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 - [Basketball]
Dubbed "Cinderella" for the 2010 NAIA Men's Basketball Division II National Tournament the Saint Francis Cougars advanced to the championship game after defeating defending champion Oklahoma Wesleyan on Monday night, 77-73.
 
Entering the tournament as the No. 15 seed and the third squad from the MCC, Saint Francis knocked off unseeded Black Hills State (S.D.), No. 2 Oregon Tech and No. 10 Cornerstone before passing by Oklahoma Wesleyan to set up the championship game vs. top seeded Walsh (Ohio) on Tuesday night. The two teams met in Fort Wayne, Ind., on Dec. 18 of this season with Saint Francis coming out on top 86-75. Tip-off for the championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST and will be televised nationally on CBS College Sports Network.
 
With three minutes to go in the first half, Oklahoma Wesleyan capped of a 20-6 run to take a 40-27 lead, the largest of the night. USF didn't stand idly, however, as DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis poured in eight points in the Cougars' 12-0 run to end the first stanza.
 
Saint Francis guard Qadr Owens and State Farm/NAIA Player-of-the-Year Steve Briggs battled head-to-head for much of the second half with Owens drilling a go-ahead basket with 4:25 remaining giving the Cougars a 62-60 lead, one they would not relinquish.
 
Owens led USF with 25 points, including 19 in the second half. Sawyer Davis netted 17 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Austin Leisure added 14 off the bench.
   
In Sioux City, Iowa at the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship, Indiana Wesleyan fell just one point short of their second title game appearance, falling 55-54 to Shawnee State (Ohio).
 
MCC Player of the Year Elaine Hessel gave the Wildcats a one point lead with 33 seconds remaining, but the Bears had one more answer. With eight seconds left, freshman Catrice Mitchell recorded her only two points of the game off an offensive rebound to give Shawnee State the advantage. IWU was unable to get a shot off in their last possession.
 
Juniors LeAnn Douglas and Hessell led the Wildcats in scoring with 14 and 13 points, respectively.