March 14, 2008
Point Lookout, Mo. - Fifth seed Northwestern (Iowa) held off Oklahoma Wesleyan in overtime, 86-85, to advance to their seventh Elite Eight at the 2008 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship. The 17th-annual event is being held at the Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of the College of the Ozarks (Mo.).
In one of the classic tournament games, it was the Red Raiders who went on the game's first run, turning a 9-9 into a 32-18 lead with seven minutes left in the opening half. Northwestern shot 44% from beyond the arc (7/16) and limited Oklahoma Wesleyan to just 30% from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
Northwestern continued to lead throughout the first 10 minutes of the second half, building up to a 17 point lead (62-45) with under nine minutes to play. Oklahoma Wesleyan, however, outscored the Red Raiders 16-1 over a four minute span to cut the lead down to 63-61. With Northwestern leading by one, sophomore guard Steve Briggs made 1-of-2 free throws to tie the score at 75 with16 seconds left. After a timeout, the Red Raiders misfired on their go-ahead attempt in the closing seconds and sent the game into overtime.
The Eagles scored the first basket of the extra period only to have Northwestern follow with seven straight points to take an 82-77 lead. The Red Raiders led by five, 85-80, before Briggs score five straight points, including his fifth three pointer, to tie the game at 85 with 8.7 seconds left. Northwestern forward Chad Schuiteman was fouled on the ensuing possession and made one of two free throws to put NWC back up one, 86-85, with five seconds to play. With one last shot, Oklahoma Wesleyan guard Josh Dennis missed a 10-footer as time expired to seal Northwestern's win.
Chad Schuiteman recorded another double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Kale Wiertzema scored 17 and in the process went over 1,000 points in his career. Mark DeYounge and Andrew Stimson netted 15 and 13 points, respectively. The Red Raiders out-rebounded Oklahoma Wesleyan, 48-40, for the game.
Oklahoma Wesleyan was led by Steve Briggs, who netted a game-high 31 points. Briggs, who ranks second in the NAIA in three pointers, made 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. Josh Dennis and Sadiel Rojas both scored 16 for the Eagles. OWU, making their first ever trip to the national tournament, ends their season with a 26-8 record.
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Northwestern, now 29-4 overall, advances to play #13 Northwood (Fla.) tomorrow in the Elite Eight at 3:00 p.m. The 32-team, single elimination tournament concludes Tuesday, March 18.
