March 24, 2009

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL:
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) College (27-9) vs. Columbia (Mo.) College (30-7)
Tuesday, March 24
9:04 p.m. CDT
Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City, Mo.)

National Television: CBS College Sports
Live stats: Click here
Live video and audio: Click here

The 2009 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship Final pits two newcomers as Columbia (Mo.) meets Rocky Mountain (Mont.) on Tuesday (March 24) in the 72^nd annual event. Since seeding began in 1957, this marks the first time in history that two unseeded teams face each other in the Championship Final. Both are in their first ever National Championship final and have never faced each other in postseason play. For tickets, visit the Municipal Box Office or call Ticketmaster at 816-931-3330.

Head coach Bill Dreikosen has the Battlin’ Bears, a member of the Frontier Conference, playing with a wave of confidence. Rocky Mountain has trailed at the half in three of its four Tournament games and has pulled out close wins (average margin of victory of 5.8 points).  A liberal arts school with 800 students located in Billings, Mont., Rocky Mountain is searching for its first ever National Championship in any sport. Senior forward Devin Uskoski averages 17.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and has tallied a nation-best 28 double-doubles in 36 games. In their sixth Championship event, RMC was 0-5 before the 2009 Tournament and has beaten the likes of No. 13 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.), Central Methodist (Mo.), No. 12 Concordia (Calif.) and No. 8 Robert Morris (Ill.) en route to the Championship final.

Finding itself in its first Championship final, Columbia is playing with a total team effort. Often times subbing five players at a time, the Cougars are in their 14^th Championship overall and snapped a six-year first-round losing streak this season. Senior guard Jason Ellis has led the team in scoring in three games this Tournament netting 23 in the Quarterfinal win over Union (Tenn.). But it was senior forward Christian Lewis who stepped up in the Semifinal victory pouring in 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting. CC has won 17 of its last 18 games including Tournament wins over No. 14 Lee (Tenn.), No. 3 Union, No. 6 Westminster (Utah) and MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.). Head coach Bob Burchard has qualified his program in 13 of the last 15 Championships and has the Cougars on a 10-game winning streak.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL NOTES:

• Since seeding began in 1957, this event marks the first time that two unseeded teams are playing for the National Championship title. Five unseeded teams (Tennessee A&I, Life, Science & Arts, John Brown, Texas Wesleyan) have all gone on to win the National Championship.

• As unseeded teams, both are looking to become the third unseeded team to win the National Championship in the last five years. John Brown (Ark.) and Texas Wesleyan won the 2005 and 2006 titles as unseeded squads.

• Three unseeded teams qualified for the Semifinal round, which marks the first time since seeding began in 1957.

• Since seeding began in 1957, Rocky Mountain becomes the first Frontier Conference school to advance to the National Championship final.

TOP SCORERS:

36 – Chris Berry, Texas Wesleyan

33 – Eric Palm, McKendree (Ill.)

31 – Danny Hawkins, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)

27 – Eric Palm, McKendree (Ill.)

27 – Reggie Bunch, Robert Morris (Ill.)

27 – Greg Truvillion, Union (Tenn.)

TOP REBOUNDERS:

17 – Danny Hawkins, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)

16 – Reggie Bunch, Robert Morris (Ill.)

16 – Devin Uskoski, Rocky Mountain (Mont.)

13 – Rocky Hampton, Biola (Calif.)

13 – Devin Uskoski, Rocky Mountain (Mont.)

TEAM CAPSULE:
Columbia (Mo.) College Cougars
• Team Record – 30-7
• Winning Streak – 10 straight
• Qualification – American Midwest Conference Tournament Champions
• Head Coach – Bob Burchard (505-185 in 20^th year at CC)
• Top Player – Christian Lewis (14.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg)
• Season Statistics and Schedule - Click here
• Tournament Stats - Click here

• Appearing in first ever Championship final.

• Stands 7-13 in their 14^th Championship event.

• Had lost seven straight Championship games prior to this season.

• The Cougars are the first American Midwest Conference program to reach the Championship final and first Missouri school to reach the finals since 1979 (Drury won the National Championship). 

• After going 2-4 during a six-game stretch, has won 17 of their last 18 games heading into Championship Final.

• The 50 points scored by Columbia in the Quarterfinals is the lowest amount for a winning team in a Championship game since Oklahoma Baptist won a 39-36 affair over Biola in the 1997 Championship.

Columbia NAIA Championship Division I History

OVERALL RECORD (7-13) in 14 appearances

1990: (1-1) W, 93-88 vs. Malone (Ohio) | L, 106-86 vs. Oral Roberts (Okla.)

1995: (0-1) L, 81-56 vs. Fresno Pacific (Calif.)

1996: (0-1) L, 65-58 vs. Cumberland (Ky.)

1997: (0-1) L, 61-55 vs. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)

1999: (1-1) W, 62-56 vs. Birmingham Southern (Ala.) | L, 58-53 vs. Concordia (Calif.)

2000: (0-1) L, 62-59 vs. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)

2001: (1-1) W, 75-66 vs. Union (Tenn.) | L, 69-43 vs. Spring Hill (Ala.)

2002: (0-1) L, 93-86 vs. Barat (Ill.)

2003: (0-1) L, 72-68 vs. Wayland Baptist (Tex.)

2004: (0-1) L, 81-48 vs. Oklahoma City

2005: (0-1) L, 77-50 vs. Mountain State (W.V.)

2006: (0-1) L, 91-64 vs. Oklahoma City

2008: (0-1) L, 61-47 vs. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)

2009: (4-0) W, 72-69 vs. Lee (Tenn.) | W, 84-64 vs. Union (Tenn.) | W, 50-47 vs. Westminster (Utah) | W, 60-56 vs. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) in Semifinals

TEAM CAPSULE:
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) College Battlin’ Bears
• Team Record – 27-9
• Winning Streak – 4 straight
• Qualification – At-Large #8
• Head Coach – Bill Dreikosen (161-126 in 10^th year at RMC)
• Top Player – Devin Uskoski (17.4 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 60.1 FG %)
• Season Statistics and Schedule - Click here
• Tournament Stats - Click here
• Holds a Tournament record of 4-5 in its sixth Championship appearance.

• Appearing in first ever National Championship Final.

• Rocky is seeking it's first NAIA National Championship in any sport. Rocky's men's ski-racing team has taken home two United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) National Championships, in 2005 and 2007.

• Devin Uskoski leads all Tournament rebounders (in more than 1 game played) with 12.5 rpg in four contests including 16 in the Quarterfinals.

• Uskoski has reached double-figures for scoring in 35 of 36 games this year and has a nation-best 28 double-doubles on the year. He has four double-doubles in the tournament and notched six straight double-doubles overall.

• With 27 victories, the 2008-2009 season ranks as Rocky's winningest basketball season in 61 years. The 1947-48 Bears won their first 25 games on the way to a 31-1 season.

• In just two seasons as a Battlin' Bear, senior guard Chase Sukut has 1,138 career points and has hit 142 3-point field goals.

• After Monday’s 11 point, 10 rebound performance, senior forward Devin Uskoski's all-time totals at Rocky stand at 2,023 points and 1,284 rebounds in 129 games. He has also recorded 69 career double-doubles.

 • This season's National Championship final run is the farthest any Rocky team has ever advanced at the Tournament.

• Rocky Mountain has overcome three halftime deficits this tournament (in four games). The Battlin’ Bears trailed by nine in its opener against Freed-Hardeman, was down by 11 at the half to Concordia in the Quarterfinals and trailed by 7 at halftime to Robert Morris in the Semifinals.

Rocky Mountain NAIA Championship Division I History

OVERALL RECORD (4-5) in 6 appearances

1951: (0-1) L, 82-57 vs. Hamline (Minn.)

1985: (0-1) L, L, 80-67 vs. Fort Hays State (Kan.)

1994: (0-1) L, 74-66 vs. Georgetown (Ky.)

2002: (0-1) L, 88-65 vs. Georgetown (Ky.)

2003: (0-1) L, 88-80 vs. Mountain State (W.V.)

2009: (4-0) W, 78-77 (OT) vs. Freed-Hardeman | W, 71-62 vs. Central Methodist (Mo.) | W, 72-64 vs. Concordia (Calif.) | W, 75-70 vs. Robert Morris (Ill.) in Semifinals