National Tourney Run
Campus News | Monday, March 5, 2018
Update: March 16, 2018: Columbus State men’s basketball team loses in Final Four at Div. III national tourney
In just its second season in Div. III in the National Junior College Athletic Association
(NJCAA), the Columbus State Cougars Men’s team advanced all the way to the NJCAA Final
Four at the national tournament in New York.
Tonight, No. 5 Columbus State lost to No. 1 Brookdale Community College 109 - 79.
The Cougars will play one final game Saturday evening at 5 p.m. to determine the 3rd and 4th place teams for the tournament.
The 28th NJCAA Div. III Championship Tournament is being held at Paul Gerry Fieldhouse, Loch Sheldrake, NY.
Update: The Cougars are heading to the Final Four!
The Columbus State Cougars have advanced to the Final Four of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament in where, New York. This afternoon, No. 5 Columbus State defeated No. 4 Herkimer College 91-76 in the first-round Elite Eight matchup.
Sophomore forward Matthew Gierhart of Worthington Kilbourne High School led the offense with 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field.
The Cougars will play again Friday at 7 p.m. where they will face the winner of a first round game scheduled for later tonight. The championship game will be played Saturday night.
The 28th NJCAA Div. III Championship Tournament is being held this week at Paul Gerry Fieldhouse, Loch Sheldrake, NY.
NJCAA Div. III tournament bracket
Fresh off a district championship victory, the Columbus State Cougars are headed to
the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament in New
York.
It’s the team's first trip to the event since becoming a Division III team in 2016. (Division III players receive no sports scholarship awards to attend college.)
The unranked Cougars won a spot in the national tournament Saturday when they upset No. 5 Joliet (Illinois) in the District Championship game. With the game tied, Columbus State’s Mario Young hit a buzzer-beater shot to clinch the win. He finished with 30 points, ten rebounds and five assists and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
"I think Mario wanted the ball more than anyone in that gym," said Cougars Coach Ed Thompson. "The play was drawn up for him."
The Cougars will now begin preparing for the 28th NJCAA Div. III Championship Tournament. It will be held March 15-17 at Paul Gerry Fieldhouse, Loch Sheldrake, NY.
Go to 2018 Archive Go to Campus News