Belhaven Wins First-Ever CCS Championship, Punches Ticket to NCAA Tournament

History belongs to the Blazers.
Belhaven captured its first CCS Tournament Championship in program history Saturday afternoon with a commanding 92-73 victory over No. 4 seed LaGrange at the Cooper Athletic Center. With the win, the Blazers secure their first NCAA Division III Tournament berth in school history and improve to 16-12 overall.
CJ Minton (6'0''-PG) was named the CCS Tournament MVP, while Dan Robinson (6'2''-G) and Neal Terry (6'7''-C) earned All-Tournament honors after leading Belhaven through a dominant three-game run.
Belhaven shot 47.7 percent from the field, knocked down 10 three-pointers, out-rebounded LaGrange 51-33, and scored 23 fast-break points in a complete championship performance.
Minton opened the scoring with back-to-back threes in the first two minutes to give the Blazers an early 6-0 advantage. After LaGrange answered with a fast-break layup from Micah McAllister (6'3''-G), Neal Terry scored inside and Dyllion Redmond (6'8''-G) added a three to extend the lead to 11-3.
LaGrange responded midway through the half behind McAllister and Devin Dowell (6'2''-G). A Dowell three at the 13:24 mark cut the deficit to two, and McAllister followed with a fast-break layup to briefly give the Panthers a one-point lead at 16-15.
Belhaven answered immediately.
Robinson converted a transition layup, Terry scored twice in the paint, and Wallace added back-to-back interior finishes to spark a 12-4 surge that restored control. When Braylon Dame (6'3''-G) drilled a fast-break three at the 2:40 mark, the Blazers stretched the margin to 39-27.
LaGrange closed the half with free throws and interior baskets from Kani Rashied-Henry (6'8''-F) and Zyon Heath (6'3''-G), but Terry added a free throw in the final seconds to send Belhaven into the locker room with a 44-32 lead.
The Panthers attempted to make a push early in the second half.
Colton and Gonzalez combined for quick baskets to trim the margin to nine, but Minton answered with a steal and transition three at the 18:22 mark to spark the decisive stretch of the game.
Over the next four minutes, Belhaven delivered a 12-3 run that broke the game open. Minton hit another three in transition, Redmond threw down a fast-break dunk, and Robinson added a jumper to push the lead to 56-39.
Dowell connected from deep to momentarily stop the run, but the Blazers kept attacking. Robinson scored inside twice, Dame knocked down a three from the wing, and Terry added a layup and free throw to extend the lead to 70-52 with 11:33 to play.
LaGrange continued to battle behind McAllister and Dowell, trimming the deficit to 12 at the 4:41 mark. But Belhaven answered again.
Robinson finished a layup, Stewart converted in transition off a Minton assist, and Terry controlled the glass on consecutive possessions to preserve a double-digit cushion.
In the closing minutes, Minton and DJ Jones (6'2''-G) sealed the victory at the free throw line before Robinson capped the championship with another layup in the final minute, igniting the Belhaven bench as the clock wound down.

Tournament Standouts
CJ Minton - Tournament MVP
Minton scored 18 points in the championship game, including four three-pointers and a perfect 6-for-6 performance at the free throw line. Over the final three games of the tournament, Minton averaged 21.3 points per game while shooting 57.1 percent from three-point range and controlling the tempo in each contest.
Dan Robinson - All-Tournament Team
Robinson added 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in the title game. Across the Blazers' three tournament wins, he averaged 17.7 points per game while contributing 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per contest.
Neal Terry - All-Tournament Team
Terry dominated the paint with 14 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks in the championship. Over the final three games, he averaged 12.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game, protecting the rim and controlling the glass throughout the tournament run.

CCS Final:
Belhaven - LaGrange 92-73

CCS Semifinals:
Maryville - LaGrange 71-82
Huntingdon - Belhaven 73-85

CCS Quarterfinals:
Belhaven - Covenant 113-77
LaGrange - Asbury 91-80

Courtesy of blazers.belhaven.edu