March 25, 2008
Championship Information | Click here
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
No. 5 Mountain State (W.Va.) vs. No. 7 Oklahoma City
Tuesday, March 25
8:30 p.m. CST
Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City, Mo.)
TV: CBS College Sports Network
Announcers: Tom Hart & Steve Wolf
Live stats: Click here
It will be a battle between two heavyweights in the 2008 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship game on Tuesday, March 25 from Kansas City, Mo. Despite the rich Championship history between the two programs, No. 5 Mountain State (34-2) (W.Va.) and defending national champion No. 7 Oklahoma City (30-7) have never faced each other in Championship play. Both clubs enter Tuesday's 8:30 p.m. CST game with a combined 64 Championship wins and 28 Tournament appearances.
Mountain State, out of Beckley, W.Va., has won eight straight games after knocking out No. 1-seed Georgetown (Ky.) in the Semifinals. MSU went up 30-16 in the early-going and never looked back in handing Georgetown its first loss of the year. On the other hand, Oklahoma City used the inside game of Ollie Bailey and guard play of Kameron Gray to earn a 78-64 Semifinal win over Campbellsville (Ky.). Bailey posted his 12th double-double this year with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Gray added 17 points, four assists and four steals.
For Mountain State, head coach Bob Bolen leads his club in their 10th straight Tournament and third Championship game appearance in the last seven seasons. The Cougars won their first ever ring back in 2004 after appearing in the 2003 title game. Senior guard James Spencer is second in the country in scoring (23.8 ppg) and averages a solid 22.3 points in four Championship games.
Oklahoma City owns the most Championship rings of any NAIA program after winning the 2007 title, 79-71 vs. Concordia (Calif.). The Stars, who boast five trophies, are looking to become the first program since Life (Ga.) University in 1999-2000 to win back-to-back titles. Head coach Ray Harper is nearing the No. 100 win mark in his third season at OCU - he currently stands 94-17.
OCU has an impressive winning percentage in Championship play (.793) and is right behind Georgetown for the all-time Championship wins mark - the Stars are 46-12 heading into Tuesday's Championship. Senior forward Ollie Bailey, who has averaged 21.0 points in four Championship games this year, tops the club in scoring (18.9) and rebounding (8.1). In their four wins this postseason, the Stars have won by an average margin of 14.3 points.
2008 Tournament Notes
• Oklahoma City becomes the first team since Kentucky State to appear in the Championship game in
three straight years. KSU accomplished the feat from 1970-72, winning all three.
• OCU and Mountain State post a combined record of 64-20 (.762) with six Championship rings between
them.
• First time since 1985 that 100 points have not been scored by one team in a single game during the first
four rounds of the tournament.
• In four of the last five Championship games, either Oklahoma City or Mountain State has made an
appearance, combining for two National Championships.
• Since 1967, only seven No. 1 seeds have won the Championship event. Mountain State, the No. 5 seed
this year, was the last one do so back in 2004.
TEAM CAPSULES:
#5 Mountain State (W.V.) University Cougars
• Team Record - 34-2
• Qualification - Independent Tournament Champion
• Head Coach - Bob Bolen (343-101 in 14th year)
• Top Player - James Spencer (24.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
• Season stats - Click here
• Tournament Stats - Click here
• Holds a Tournament record of 18-8 in its 10th overall appearance and 10th straight.
• Team is making its third National Championship game appearance with the previous two coming in
2003 & 2004.
• MSU stands 1-1 in the title game.
• Cougars won their third straight Semifinal game on Monday with all the wins now coming against
Georgetown (Ky.).
• Riding a nine-game winning streak into the Championship game.
• Won school's first and only National Championship in 2004 - 74-70 win over Concordia (Calif.).
• James Spencer has scored 20 points or more in 29 out of 36 games this year, including five straight.
Mountain State NAIA Championship Division I History
* Italics is Championship
OVERALL RECORD (18-8) in 10 appearances
1999: (1-1) W, 81-77 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.) | L, 79-76 vs. Mobile (Ala.)
2000: (0-1) L, 73-67 vs. Union (Tenn.)
2001: (0-1) L, 86-59 vs. Southern Polytechnic (Ga.)
2002: (1-1) W, 85-71 vs. Wayland Baptist | L, 75-47 vs. Westmont (Calif.)
2003: (4-1) W, 88-80 vs. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | W, 94-85 vs. Wayland Baptist (Texas) | W, 108-106 OT
vs. OK Baptist | W, 106-89 vs. Georgetown (Ky.) in Semifinals | L, 88-84 Ot vs. Concordia (Calif.) in
Championship
2004: (5-0) W, 79-68 vs. Reinhardt (Ga.) | W, 84-66 vs. Wayland Baptist (Texas) | W, 87-84 vs. OK Baptist |
W, 96-77 vs. Georgetown (Ky.) in Semifinals | W, 74-70 vs. Concordia (Calif.) in Championship
2005: (2-1) W, 77-50 vs. Columbia (Mo.) | W, 88-65 vs. Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) | L, 82-66 vs. Azusa
Pacific (Calif.)
2006: (1-1) W, 84-6 vs. SW Assemblies (Texas) | L, 79-65 vs. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
2007: (0-1) L, 86-80 vs. McKendree (Ill.)
2008: (3-0) W, 87-76 (2 OT) vs. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | W, 84-71 vs. Wayland Baptist (Texas) | W, 72-51 vs.
Azusa Pacific (Calif.) | W, 78-65 vs. Georgetown (Ky.) in Semifinals
#7 Oklahoma City University Stars
• Team Record - 30-7
• Qualification - Sooner Athletic Regular Season & Tournament Champions
• Head Coach - Ray Harper (94-17 in 3rd year)
• Top Player - Ollie Bailey (18.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg)
• Season Stats - Click here
• Tournament Stats - Click here
• Hold a Tournament record of 46-12 in 18 appearances including their 11th straight.
• With the Semifinal win over Campbellsville (Ky.), OCU now holds a perfect 7-0 Semifinal record.
• Is the first team since Kentucky State from 1970-72 to appear in three straight National Championship
games.
• Heads into the Championship game riding a nine-game Tournament winning streak and 14 game
season-winning streak.
• OCU reached the national title games in 2006 and 2007, winning last year's game vs. Concordia (Calif.)
79-71.
• Oklahoma City has won five NAIA national championships, the most of any program in Division I.
• Looking to become the first NAIA team to win back-to-back titles since Life University (Ga.) in 1999 and
2000.
• Ollie Bailey has scored at least 10 points in each of the last 18 games. He produced his 12th double-double of the year with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Semifinal win.
• Tuesday's game will be the first meeting with Mountain State in the NAIA Tournament.
Oklahoma City NAIA Championship Division I History
* Italics is Championship
OVERALL RECORD (46-12) in 18 appearances
1987 (1-1): W, 101-66 vs. Northwood (Mich.) | L, 67-64 vs. Georgetown
1991 (5-0): W, 80-77 vs. Concordia (Neb.) | W, 107-85 vs. Concord (W.V.) | W, 112-94 vs. St. Mary's (Mich.)
| W, 100-83 vs. Pfeiffer (N.C.) in Semifinals | W, 77-74 vs. Central Arkansas in Championship
1992 (5-0): W, 107-73 vs. Columbia Union (Md.) | W, 96-89 vs. Urbana (Ohio) | W, 97-63 vs. Cumberland
(Ky.) | W, 102-92 vs. Pfeiffer (N.C.) in Semifinals | W, 82 -73 vs. Central Arkansas in Championship
1993 (1-1): W, 84-79 vs. Spring Hill (Ala.) | L, 85-67 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)
1994 (5-0): W, 10-499 vs. Siena Heights (Mich.) | W, 86-75 vs. St. Mary's (Texas) | W, 90-70 vs. Drury (Ill.) |
W vs. OK Baptist in Semifinals | W, 99-81 vs. Life (Ga.) in Championship
1995 (2-1): W, 107-75 vs. Iowa Wesleyan | W, 98-67 vs. Transylvania (Ky.) | L, 92-78 vs. Pfeiffer (N.C.)
1996 (5-0): W, 94-58 vs. St. Xavier (Ill.) | W, 108-85 vs. The Master's (Calif.) | W, 82-66 vs. Birmingham
Southern | W, 80-77 vs. Belmont (Tenn.)in Semifinals | W, 86-80 vs. Georgetown (Ky.) in Championship
1998 (1-1): W, 84-73 vs. The Master's (Calif.) | L, 63-52 vs. Incarnate Word (Texas)
1999 (1-1): W, 6-159 vs. Houston Baptist (Texas) | L, 87-74 vs. Life (Ga.)
2000 (1-1): W, 70-62 vs. Westmont (Calif.) | L, 77-67 vs. Spring Hill (Ala.)
2001 (1-1): W, 91-69 vs. Xavier (La.) | L, 94-54 vs. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
2002 (2-1): W, 88-82 vs. Houston Baptist (Texas) | W, 74-59 vs. Georgetown (Ky.) | L, 80-72 vs. Azusa
Pacific (Calif.)
2003 (0-1): L, 82-56 vs. St. Xavier (Ill.)
2004 (2-1): W, 81-48 vs. Columbia (Mo.) | W, 79-65 vs. Lewis-Clark (Idaho) | L, 75-62 vs. Mobile (Ala.)
2005 (1-1): W, 77-74 vs. Mobile (Ala.) | L, 66-65 vs. Carroll (Mont.)
2006 (4-1): W, 91-64 vs. Columbia (Mo.) | W, 99-77 vs. Houston Baptist | W, 77-67 vs. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
| W, 94-92 vs. Robert Morris (Ill.) in Semifinal | L, 69-65 vs. Texas Wesleyan in Championship
2007 (5-0): W, 90-74 vs. Wiley (Texas) | W, 9-78 vs. Illinois-Springfield | W, 84-68 vs. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
| W, 76-61 vs. Faulkner (Ala.) in Semifinals | W, 79-71 vs. Concordia (Calif.) in Championship
2008 (3-0): W, 81-64 vs. Cumberland (Tenn.) | W, 69-63 vs. California Baptist | W, 86-66 vs. Lee (Tenn.) |
W, 78-64 vs. Campbellsville (Ky.)
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