Eagles Close Nationals 2-1 With Win Over Champion
Minneapolis, MN -- Faith men's basketball finished their time at the national tournament with a 92-83 victory over Champion Christian in the consolation round.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
43 | 49 | 92 |
|
|
38 | 45 | 83 |
Team Stats
Champion Baptist College
| Game Statistics | Faith Baptist Bible College | Champion Baptist College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (35-76) | (34-74) |
| Field Goal % | 46.1% | 45.9% |
| Rebounds | 46 | 42 |
| Assists | 27 | 17 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 14 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 18 | 20 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 9 | 13 |
| Pts in the Paint | 40 | 52 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 11 | 26 |
| Bench Pts | 37 | 24 |
Even though the Eagles were not playing in the semifinals on Friday, the team felt like they had more to prove in their national tournament run and they sought a win against #4 seeded Champion Christian to finish the season on a high note.
The Tigers won the tip and got on the board first, but Connor Parrish powered in for a layup on the other end for the immediate answer. The first half gave both teams a chance to build, and then lose the lead, but Champion would hold theirs for a majority of the half. With six minutes left in the half, Mason Gorsh found Asa LaFleur on the fastbreak to tie the game at 32 apiece, and the Eagles found a stop and another layup from Jackson Lockard to give them the lead that would last through the break. The last two minutes saw a flurry of turnovers and fouls, but Faith kept a five point lead and headed into halftime up 43-38.
The Tigers scored first, taking the lead back within the first two minutes of the second half. A made three from Landon Brahs, followed by back to back layups from Quensy Ferguson and Asa LaFleur took the lead back and put the Eagles up six with 15 minutes to go. Champion brought the lead within three points multiple times, but the Eagles found baskets to match their opponent until they started to pull away with five minutes to go in the game. Faith took care of business until the final buzzer, taking home the 92-83 win in their final game of the season.
Brahs led scoring for the Eagles with 17 points, followed by Lockard who added 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Mason Gorsh recorded an unconventional doubld-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Grant Buzenitz scored six points on a perfect 2/2 from the three point line.
