Tennessee Temple University will play top-seeded Trevecca Nazarene at 2 p.m. today in Madisonville, Tenn., for the Mid-East Region men's basketball championship of the National Christian College Athletic Association. The winner goes to the national tournament.
Temple got to the final by edging Bluefield 100-95 in triple-overtime. Trevecca (19-11) then defeated Victory 72-64 behind 20 and 18 points and six and five assists from Marquise Rudolph and Michael France.
Josh Morris had 25 points and 19 rebounds and Gemeil Daniels had 20 points and 17 rebounds for TTU's Crusaders (15-15), who got 18 points and eight rebounds from Dorlan Smith, 16 points with four 3-point baskets from Weedlens Beauvil and 11 points and 12 assists from Jarrett Smith.
Andrew Wilson scored 26 points with four 3s and Kearsten Marion and Byron Carpenter added 23 points each and five and four steals for Bluefield (19-16). Carpenter also collected 26 rebounds, including 14 offensively.
After two Wilson free throws put the Rams up 76-74 with six seconds left in regulation, Dorlan Smith hit a layup at the buzzer from a Jarrett Smith pass to send the game to overtime. Morris had six of the Crusaders' 10 points in the third extra period.
Top-seeded Bluefield beat Temple 70-39 in the women's regional at Temple, and third-seeded Oakland City downed second seed Asbury 90-82. Lyndi Tedder had 23 points and five assists and Chelsea Jones and Rinesha Soaper scored 19 and 18 points for Oakland City.
Kia Gillard led Bluefield with 21 points and four steals. Shayla Wilson had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Crusaders.
BUCKS STOP COUGARS
At Jackson, Tenn., Cleveland State's upstart run through the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII tournament ended in the semifinals with a 71-64 loss to Motlow State.
The Cougars had edged Dyersburg State in overtime in the first round and then stunned second seed Southwest Tennessee, but Motlow's Bucks (17-10) outrebounded them 45-31 and made 10 of 10 free throws in the closing minutes and 30 of 34 for the game.
John Taylor led the Bucks with 18 points and Sean Gardner had 11. Travis Jones had 29 for the Cougars (15-14) and was second-team All-TCCAA while first-teamer and freshman of the year Nick Ross scored 12.
Chattanooga State's Lady Tigers lost 64-59 to Columbia State in the final game of the night.
GAME SUMMARIES
NCCAA Mid-East men's semifinals
TENN. TEMPLE 100, BLUEFIELD 95 (3 OT)
Bluefield (19-16)
Wilson 26, Maraion 23, O'boute 5, M'Bala 15, Carpenter 23, Brooks, Page 3, Johnson, Porter.
Tennessee Temple (15-15)
J. Smith 11, D. Smith 18, Beauvil 16, Reik 4, Daniels 20, Morris 25, Sanders 2, Quinn 2, Hall 2.
Halftime: Bluefield, 39-38. Regulation: 76-76. 1st OT: 83-83. 2nd OT: 90-90.
TREVECCA NAZARENE 72, VICTORY 64
Victory (15-12)
Guillory 15, Headley 20, Jones 22, Wright 6, Pratt, Bernans, Carr 1, Caston, Guess, Jackson.
Trevecca Nazarene (19-11)
Orr 12, Nyadaro 8, Rudolph 20, France 18, Daniels 10, Morris, enry 2, Macura, Carden 2.
Halftime: Trevecca Nazarene, 35-31.
NCCAA Mid-East women's semifinals
BLUEFIELD 70, TENNESSEE TEMPLE
Tennessee Temple (9-23)
Salera 5, Fowler, Charles 3, Wilson 15, Robinson, Gallishaw 7, Monroe 4, Rice, McGhee 2, Reddicks 3, Brazzle.
Bluefield
Simmons 8, Robson 4, Gillard 21, Rouse 2, McNeal 12, Moore 6, Cataldi 9, Washington 3, McDaniel 2, Tolliver 3, Kewis.
Halftime: Bluefield, 30-20.
OAKLAND CITY 90, ASBURY 82
Oakland City
Soaper 18, Moore 5, Malin 3, Jones 19, Barclay 16, Tedder 23, Sutton 6, Kerchief, Menke, Evans.
Asbury
Barbee 23, Griffith 7, Williams 7, Gray 29, Carroll 7, Hollon, Downs 4, Todd 3, Rinehart, Jarboe 2, Burr, Hodge.
Halftime: Oakland City, 51-34.