NSU’s men’s basketball team has made history by winning the NCAA Division II National Championship for the first time. The Sharks defeated West Liberty Hilltoppers 111-101 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. NSU completed the season with a perfect 36-0 record, and the team broke the Division II National Championship record for points in the first half (55) and game (111). The team waited for this moment for a long time, months of hard work and dedication had let them to the biggest stage in college basketball ‘the national championship game.
Players celebrate after winning the national championship. COURTESY OF NSU PUBLIC RELATIONS.
The victory was particularly special for head coach Jim Crutchfield, who led the team to its first national championship and has turned NSU into a Division II powerhouse.
“It’s been a storybook season and perfect ending. To play in the National Championship against West Liberty -where I got my start – is special, this game had a lot of intensity and a lot of emotions, but I’m proud of our team and thrilled to bring a national title back to Nova Southeastern,” Crutchfield said in a Sunshine State Conference interview.
The Sharks’ win means that it is only the sixth team in NCAA Division II history to finish the season as undefeated national champions. Will Yoakum, graduate student pursuing a business marketing certificate, also broke the single season record for points, scoring 727 in his lone season as a Shark.
“In basketball today, nobody goes undefeated. But these guys did. I love these guys,” said Crutchfield to the Miami Herald. Former Miami Marlins play-by-play announcer Rich Waltz recently acknowledged the success of college basketball teams in South Florida, including the Miami Hurricanes (both men’s and women’s teams), Florida Atlantic and NSU.
“It’s an exciting time to be a college basketball team in South Florida! The Sharks are really making a splash.” Waltz said.
The Sharks took an early 6-0 lead in the opening minutes. Dallas Graziani, junior sports management major, and Yoakum contributed with jump shots to give NSU an 18-8 lead. The Hilltoppers rallied, cutting the lead to 18-14, but Yoakum and Graziani responded with two consecutive three-pointers. In the second half, NSU maintained their momentum, with Graziani hitting another three-pointer to extend the lead to 60-50.
Although the Hilltoppers fought hard and cut the Sharks’ lead to 106-101, Kobe Rodgers, sophomore sports management major, sealed the deal for NSU by hitting three consecutive free throws. Yoakum was the star of the game, scoring 28 points. Yoakum and RJ Sunahara, graduate student in the business marketing program, were both awarded the Co-Most Outstanding Player title in the tournament. Dallas Graziani was also named to the All-Tournament team.
The win marks a major milestone for NSU, which has steadily built its men’s basketball program over the past few years. The Sharks are a combined 67-1 over the course of the past two seasons.
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