IUSB Claims MBKB Crown With Another Incredible Rally - Mar 16, 2021
The No. 15-seeded Indiana University South Bend men's basketball team claimed its second consecutive Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship on Monday night with a thrilling 76-75 victory over top-seeded Olivet Nazarene. The Titans rallied from four points down with 24 seconds remaining in regulation to defeat the Tigers for the second straight postseason in thrilling fashion. Prior to the conference tournament, IU South Bend had only appeared in two games, defeating Trinity Christian College and 2019-20 NAIA National Tournament team Bellevue University. With Monday night's victory, the Titans improved to 6-0 overall, while the CCAC regular-season champion Tigers fell to 15-4. With just 13 ticks left in regulation, Miles Tracy (6'7''-F) grabbed his lone offensive rebound of the game when it counted. Tracy muscled his way back up for the put-back to make it a 75-73 game. On the ensuing Olivet Nazarene possession, the Titans were forced to foul and the Tigers missed the front end of the one-and-one with eight seconds to play. On IU South Bend's final possession, senior guard Dylan Allen (6'0''-PG) tossed the ball to senior counterpart Sergio Diaz (6'3''-G), who sank the game-winning three-pointer after the ball hit the rim twice before falling through. The fortuitous bounce allowed the Titans to claim their second conference title in program history. Allen led the Titan offense, dropping 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while junior guard Donyell Meredith II (6'4''-G) II followed with 16 points and team-highs of seven rebounds and six assists. Sophomore Micah Poole (6'3''-G) and Tracy also finished in double figures, scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively. CCAC Player of the Year Alex Gross (6'10''-C) registered game highs of 24 points and 10 rebounds for Olivet Nazarene, while Cade Chitty (6'7''-F) (20 points) and John Contant (6'3''-G) (13) also scored in double figures. The Tigers started the game on an 8-0 run and converted on their first three three-pointers of the game. IUSB battled back to even the score at 40-40 heading into the break. Olivet Nazarene led by as many as seven points in the second half, holding a 69-62 advantage with 4:18 remaining. The Titans refused to let up, though, pulling within two points, 69-67, at the 3:17 mark. ONU responded with another run of 8-2 in a little over a two-minute span before the unbelievable IUSB comeback occurred. The Titans finished the game shooting 46.2 percent (30-of-65) from the floor, 32.3 percent (10-of-31) from three-point land and 85.7 percent (6-of-7) on free throws. IUSB forced 14 turnovers on three steals and outscored ONU in bench points, 19-5. The Tigers shot 59.6 percent (31-of-52) from the field, 40 percent (6-of-15) on three-pointers and 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from the charity stripe. Olivet Nazarene held a commanding 50-38 advantage over IU South Bend for points in the paint.
CCAC Tournament Final: IU South Bend - Olivet Nazarene 76-75 CCAC Tournament Semifinals: IU South Bend - Indiana Northwest 100-58 Olivet Nazarene - Governors State 81-66
Courtesy of ccacsports.com
All-CCAC Awards 2021 - Mar 16, 2021
Player of the Year: Alex Gross (6'10''-C) of ONU Freshman of the Year: Jimmy Llinas (6'7''-F) of St.Xavier Newcomer of the Year: Jared Johnson (6'5''-F) of IU Northwest Coach of the Year: Nick Birkey of ONU
The No. 15-seeded Indiana University South Bend men's basketball team claimed its second consecutive Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship on Monday night with a thrilling 76-75 victory over top-seeded Olivet Nazarene. The Titans rallied from four points down with 24 seconds remaining in regulation to defeat the Tigers for the second straight postseason in thrilling fashion.
Alex Gross (6'10''-C) of ONU
Cooper
