By Eric Montgomery, Director of Sports Information & Marketing, Heart of America Conference

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Box score) Arizona Christian recorded the first upset of the 2015 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship with a 94-82 win over No. 14-seeded Georgetown (Ky.). The Firestorm will take on the winner of No. 3-seeded Cal State San Marcos and Philander Smith (Ark.) on Friday, March 20 at 10:45 a.m.

Charles King led Arizona Christian in scoring with 17 points, hitting five of eight three-point shots, to go along with five rebounds. Bobby Gray tallied 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Sharif Watson and Kevin Lawson chipped in with 15 points apiece. Brandon Newman also contributed 14 points and five rebounds as he converted four of five from beyond the arc.

“It means a lot to get this victory and get out of the first round,” said Arizona Christian guard Charles King. “For me, being a senior and never getting out of the first round, along with ACU advancing to the second round for the first time ever, it means a lot.”

Arizona Christian (25-8) trailed at halftime, 43-35, shooting 40.7 percent (11 of 27) in the opening stanza that included just one of four three-point shots and 12 of 19 free throws. Georgetown converted five of 11 from outside (.455) in the first half and enjoyed a 23-19 rebounding advantage.

The Firestorm tied the game at 47-47 within the first 2:05 of the second half, but Georgetown answered with eight-straight points, six of them from Noah Cottrill. Georgetown continued to lead by seven with 9:14 to play before Arizona Christian turned the tables.

Two free throws by Gilbert Pinckney were the first of 11-straight points for the Firestorm, claiming a 74-70 lead with 6:46 to play. The Tigers tied the game for the 11th time with 4:53 remaining, but Arizona Christian responded with a 10-3 run and led by as much as seven points the rest of the way.

“I was proud of the way we battled through in the first half and had the lead,” said Georgetown head coach Chris Briggs. “But, give ACU credit. They played great, and we didn’t play our best basketball. When you do that in March, you go home.”

Arizona Christian shot 57.6 percent (19 of 33) in the second half and knocked down eight of 11 three-point shots. The Firestorm also committed just four turnovers after the break and posted a 22-12 edge on the glass in the second half.

Cottrill led all scorers with 31 points for the Tigers, converting five of nine from three-point range and 10 of 20 field goals overall. Deondre McWhorter tallied 13 points and eight rebounds, while Darion Burns recorded 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Georgetown finishes its season with a record of 25-8.

Game notes:
Arizona Christian – The Firestorm claimed its first-ever win in the national championship after suffering first round losses in its first two appearances (2013, 2014) … Arizona Christian’s upset of the No. 14 seed was the first in that first round pairing since St. Catharine (Ky.) fell in 2011 … The Firestorm entered the game ranked No. 9 in NAIA Division I in three-point percentage (.390) and shot 60.0 percent for the game.