By Eric Montgomery | NAIA Media Relations

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Box Score) No. 6-seeded Dalton State (Ga.) claimed the first place in the semifinal round of the 2015 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship with a 80-76 overtime win over third-seeded Cal State San Marcos, Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinal round in Municipal Auditorium. The Roadrunners will face the winner of No. 2--seeded Talladega (Ala.) and No. 7-seeded Pikeville (Ky.) on Monday, March 23 at 6:00 p.m.

Preston Earle scored the go-ahead basket with 1:53 remaining in overtime, giving Dalton State the lead for good. Earle added a free throw with 23 seconds to play for a 77-74 lead. Needing a three-point shot and with time ticking down, the Cougars fed Julian Camper under the hoop for two points. CSUSM attempted to call timeout, but had none remaining and was assessed a technical foul. Sean Tate finished off the scoring by hitting three of four free throws, and Jamaine Burrey stole the ball on the final play to run out the clock.

Camper and Tate provided the heroics for their respective teams at the end of regulation as the final 4:00 saw four ties and two lead changes. Camper hit two free throws after grabbing an offensive rebound of a missed Blake Nash jumper, while Tate went to the line with 11 seconds to play and hit two from the stripe to tie the game.

Earle gave the Roadrunners a 60-52 lead with 11:02 on a three-point connection, its biggest of the second half after leading by as much as 15 points in the first half and four points at halftime. The Cougars answered with a 10-2 run to take their first lead since the opening 2:00 of the game before Anthony Hilliard tied the game to set up the final stages of the game.

Dalton State shot 43.5 percent from the floor (27 of 62), but took advantage of its long-range shooting with 13 of its field goals coming from beyond the arc. The Roadrunners also enjoyed a 13-6 advantage at the free throw line and 18-12 edge in turnovers. CSUSM hit 52.5 percent of its shots (31 of 59) and posted a 42-27 advantage on the glass.

“We had a great year and I am proud of these kids,” said Cal State San Marcos head coach Jim Saia. “We had a phenomenal experience.”

Hilliard led the way for Dalton State with 20 points and three assists, while Earle finished with 19 points and five assists. Tate matched Earle with four three-pointers and provided 17 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists, while Jordan Bowling contributed 16 points and seven rebounds.

Camper posted game-high totals of 30 points and 13 rebounds for the Cougars. Akachi Okugo posted 16 points and Blake Nash recorded nine points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Cal State San Marcos finished its season with a record of 30-4.

Game Notes:
Dalton State – In its first-ever trip to the national championship, Dalton State becomes the first rookie to qualify for the semifinals since former member Shorter (Ga.) in 2012 … The Roadrunners are attempting to become the third-straight No. 6 seed to win the national championship … The 13 three-point shots was the third-most for Dalton State in a game this season … The Roadrunners entered the game ranked No. 2 in the NAIA in field goal percentage defense (.378).

CS San Marcos – The Cougars lost in the quarterfinal round for the second-straight season, losing to a team from the Southern States Athletic Conference on both occasions … In three games during the national championship, the average margin for the Cougars was three points (2 wins, 1 loss) … Camper posted season-high totals in points and field goals made (12), besting his previous highs set against Vanguard (Calif.) on Feb. 24, 2015 … The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak and was the second overtime game this season for the Cougars, winning a 100-91 double-overtime verdict against Northern New Mexico on Jan. 24, 2015.