Temple going back to NCCAA nationals

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

NCCAA Mid-East Region FinalTENN. TEMPLE 80, MID-CONTINENT 72Mid-Continent (18-14)Elkins 4, Scott 15, Ames 12, Davis 19, Peden 10, Johnson, Thompkins 4, Gilmore 7, Randolph.Tennessee Temple (22-11)Mack 7, Jones 6, Whittaker 10, Clarke 9, Beauvil 2, Bell 12, Sanders 19, Johnson 11, Quinn 3, Ruise.Halftime: Tennessee Temple, 43-34.All-region first team: Player of the year Elliot Johnson (Tenn. Temple); Vernon Payne (Campbellsville); Gavin Scott (Mid-Continent); Anthony Freeman Jr. (Union Univ.); Byron Carpenter (Bluefield). Second team: Keron Jackson, Tyrell Hursey (Victory); Marquise Rudolph (Trevecca Nazarene); Charles Peden (Mid-Continent); Colton McGriff (Covenant). Area honorable mention: Rashaud Bell, Weedlens Beauvil, Hampton Mack, PJ Whittaker (Tenn. Temple); Jon DeVries (Covenant); Justin Browner (Hiwassee). Coach of the year: Brac Brady (Tenn. Temple).

Tennessee Temple University has a chance to add to its record total of National Christian College Athletic Association Division I basketball championships after completing a home-court run to the Mid-East Region title Saturday.

The national tournament starts Wednesday at Winona Lake, Ind.

From the NCCAA's first national tournament in 1968, Temple had six titles through 1989 and added a seventh in 2003, the last time it went. Ten years later, in the first season with Brac Brady as coach, the Crusaders are 22-11 with 13 straight victories after beating the region's top two seeds.

Saturday they topped Mid-Continent University 80-72 as tournament MVP Corey Sanders had 19 points and four assists, Rashaud Bell had 12 rebounds with 12 points and region player of the year Elliot Johnson and PJ Whittaker scored 11 and 10. Antonio Davis led Mid-Continent (18-14) with 19, and Gavin Scott had 15 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.

• At Lynchburg, Tenn., the top-seeded Walters State women and Motlow men won the TCCAA/Region VII tournament titles, but their victims Saturday will join them at the NJCAA Division I nationals. The nationally sixth-ranked Lady Senators (29-1) beat Volunteer State (23-4) with 21 points and 10 rebounds from Tangela Crenshaw, and Motlow's No. 18 Bucks (25-3) beat Walters (17-15) 71-60 with Chris Hawkins scoring 16 points.

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