It was not enough that a championship was on the line, or that one season would continue while the other ended-both teams entered the championship game of the California Pacific Conference Championship tournament with one goal in mind: make history. And that is just what #3 Westcliff accomplished with its 65-54 win over #4 UC Merced Tuesday night at Bell Bank Park at Legacy Fields in Mesa, Ariz. With the victory, the Warriors advance to the NAIA National Championship for the first time in program history, a history that is only in its third season in the NAIA.
Antelope Valley, the regular season champion, already earned one of the Cal Pac's automatic bids to the national tournament and will now wait with WU to see where it will play in the opening round. The NAIA National Championship will get underway with First and Second Round games starting at 16 sites around the country on Tuesday, March 7. The winners will convene at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., for the Round of 16 with a national champion being crowned on Saturday, March 18.
The opening half was a back-and-forth affair with UCM finishing on top by two, 33-31. WU, which came into the game averaging five 3-pointers a game, (making 30%) drained 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes. For the game, the Warriors connected on 8-of-13 threes (61.5%).
And things only heated up in the second half. The Warriors (18-8) came out with the same energy that carried them past Simpson and Saint Katherine in the first two rounds. The Warrior defensive intensity picked up-UCM did not score until the 12:40 mark-and offense caught fire, running off a 15-0 tear, hitting 6-of-8 shots from the floor, and building a 46-33 lead it would never relinquish.
WU had four players reach double digits. Joshua Harrison (6'3''-G) paced the Warrior offense with 15 points, Abdul Abdullah (6'7''-F) recorded another double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, Micaiah Hankins had 13 off the bench, and Cap Uzan finished with 10.
UCM (21-9), fresh off an upset of top-seeded UAV that set the program record for wins in a single season, got big production from Kingsley Obiorah (6'9''-F), the Cal Pac Defensive Player of the Year, who finished with 18 points, nine boards, and four assists, and Mason Westlake (6'0''-PG), the conference's all-time leading 3-point shooter, who had 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists. But the rest of the Bobcat lineup combined for only 22 points.

Courtesy of calpacathletics.com

Player of the Year: Michael Hayes (6'4''-G) of Antelope Valley
Defensive Player of the Year: Kingsley Obiorah (6'9''-F) of UC Merced
Freshman of the Year: Maur Tablada (6'4''-G) of St.Katherine
Newcomer of the Year: Andrew Lewis (6'3''-G-1998) of Antelope Valley
Champions of Character: Tyler Davis (6'3''-G) of La Sierra
Coach of the Year: Jordan Mast of Antelope Valley

All-CalPac First Team 2023

Abdullah

Durham

Ezenekwe

Hayes

Jackson

Lewis

First Team
Abdul Abdullah (6'7''-F) of Westcliff
Jacob Durham (6'6''-F) of St.Katherine
Elias Ezenekwe (6'4''-G) of Antelope Valley
Michael Hayes (6'4''-G) of Antelope Valley
Javonntie Jackson (6'7''-F) of Simpson, CA
Andrew Lewis (6'3''-G-1998) of Antelope Valley
Cesar Meza (5'11''-PG-1999) of St.Katherine
Kingsley Obiorah (6'9''-F) of UC Merced
Miles Pennington (6'3''-F) of CSU Maritime
Mason Westlake (6'0''-PG) of UC Merced

All-CalPac Second Team 2023

Harper

Harris Jr.

Kirkland

Pomazanov

Uzan

Second Team
Chris Harper (6'4''-G) of St.Katherine
Gary Harris Jr. (6'6''-G) of Westcliff
Michael Kirkland (6'6''-F) of BENUM
Dennis Pomazanov (6'7''-F) of ERAU
Capri Uzan (5'11''-PG) of Westcliff

All-CalPac Honorable Mention 2023

Taylor

Ballard

Ott

Nicholas

Carolina

Verdugo

Honorable Mention
Lunden Taylor (6'3''-G) of CSU Maritime
La'Corian Ballard (5'10''-PG) of Park-Gilbert
Levontay Ott (6'4''-G) of Antelope Valley
Arik Nicholas (6'5''-PF) of Antelope Valley
Treviance Carolina (6'1''-PG) of BENUM
Conner Verdugo (5'11''-PG) of ERAU
Shemarr Parker (6'4''-G/F) of Pacific Union
Bryan Baptiste (6'0''-PG-1994) of St.Katherine
Maur Tablada (6'4''-G) of St.Katherine
Daylon Potts (6'5''-G) of Simpson, CA
Chris Bramah (6'4''-G) of UC Merced
Joshua Harrison (6'3''-G) of Westcliff

CalPac All-Defensive Team 2023

Ezenekwe

Harris Jr.

Meza

Obiorah

Ott

All-Defensive Team
Elias Ezenekwe (6'4''-G) of Antelope Valley
Gary Harris Jr. (6'6''-G) of Westcliff
Cesar Meza (5'11''-PG-1999) of St.Katherine
Kingsley Obiorah (6'9''-F) of UC Merced
Levontay Ott (6'4''-G) of Antelope Valley