Story by NAIA Office

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Box score) No. 5 Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) moved to a perfect 3-0 in the first round of the championship after an 87-81 win against No. 4 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) in the final game of Day 2 of the 2016 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship. The Saints, who also earned tournament-opening wins in 2012 and 2015, faces No. 1 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) on Friday, March 18 at 9:45 p.m. CDT.

In a game that finished at 1:19 a.m. CDT time, there was no shortage of action. The two teams combined for 132 field goals attempted, 58 free throws attempted, 23 three-pointers made, and 19 steals. Seven players scored at least 10 points – four by Freed-Hardeman.

“I thought we played well against a very good team,” said Our Lady of the Lakes head coach Ryan Wall. “Our bench was crucial for us tonight, especially early with two of our best players sitting with foul trouble. Some guys that had not stepped up all year were big for us.

“In addition to Joe Jackson, who makes me a better coach, Olajuwon Garner took care of the ball and Christian Wood-Dvorak made us tougher as he always does,” added Wall. “We need everyone to perform their roles for us to be successful and we played as a team tonight to get the win.”

Entering the game with the fourth-most 3-pointer’s in the NAIA per game (10.5), Our Lady of the Lake turned to its long-range shooters for success again. Led by Christian Wood-Dvorak’s four triples and Olajuwon Garner’s three, the entire team went 13-for-38 (.342) on the night. It was a Garner three-pointer four minutes into the game that sparked an offensive spurt for the Saints.

Down 10-2 after a pair of free throws by Freed-Hardeman’s Orlando Bass, Garner swished the net and, propelled by five more treys, the Saints (21-8) took a 40-36 lead into halftime.

Our Lady of the Lake, which has topped at least 20 wins in each of the last three seasons, never trailed in the second half. The Lions got as close as two points on two occasions – the last being at 66-64 with 5:45 left in the game – but the Saints continued to put pressure on the offensive end.

Garner was tops for the Saints in the scoring column with 19 points as he was 7-for-15 from the field. Jackson finished with a double-double at 16 points and 14 rebounds. Wood-Dvorak nailed 4-of-8 behind the arc to collect 14 points. Darion Brown chipped in six assists, four steals and four points.

Evan Forhetz put up 18 points in the losing effort for Freed-Hardeman. He added five assists and two steals. Bass finished with 16 points and Isaiah Harrison and Trevor Randolph each recorded 12.

“Coach Wall (Our Lady of the Lake) and his team took us out of what we really wanted to do and created turnovers,” said Freed-Hardeman Head Coach Jason Shelton. “I feel bad for our three seniors, all fifth-year year guys. I hope they realize how special the season was, despite the outcome tonight. They are the first team to ever win back-to-back regular-season conference championships in the sport of men’s basketball.”

Freed-Hardeman ends its season with a 25-8 record

Game notes:
Freed-Hardeman: Making its sixth overall appearance in the national championship and third straight. …Was seeking to get into second round for just the second time. …Team ranks in the top 10 nationally in a variety of categories with a 1.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio being second in the NAIA. …Lions posted two double-digit winning streaks on the year (high of 12). …Evan Forhetz ranks second in the NAIA in total assists (221), assists per game (7.4), and assist/turnover ratio (3.9). …Isaiah Harrison is in the top 10 in six different categories, namely second in offensive rebounds per game (4.1) and total rebounds per game (11.4).

Our Lady of the Lake: Making its third overall appearance in championship and second in a row. …Has never lost in the first round (3-0). …Will be seeking its first appearance in the quarterfinals with a win on Friday. …Team leads the nation with 10.8 steals per game and a +7 turnover margin… 20th game this season with double-digit three-pointers. …Joe Jackson is second nationally in total blocks (75) and blocks per game (2.7). …He is also in the top 10 in defensive rebounds per outing (8th, 6.8) and total rebounds (9th, 9.5).