JOURNAL SPORTS
SALINA, Kan. – It wouldn’t take long to count the number of people who thought the LSUS men’s basketball team had any chance to upset homestanding Kansas Wesleyan in the opening round of the NAIA Tournament Friday night, let alone win again Saturday to advance to Kansas City and the Sweet 16.
They were all in the LSUS travel party. But the 12th-seeded Pilots stunned No. 5 Kansas Wesleyan in overtime, then blitzed No. 4 Concordia (Neb.) 91-67 Saturday evening to surge forward.
LSUS (24-8) will play the Duer Quadrant’s No. 1 seed, Langston (Okla.), Friday at 1 in the Sweet 16. Langston (32-1) scored two blowout wins in its opening round action and finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the NAIA Top 25 poll. The teams met Dec. 19 and Langston survived in overtime, 71-59, on a neutral court in Fort Worth.
The LSUS women notched their first-ever NAIA Tournament win in 12 tries on Friday, but were eliminated Saturday. The Red River Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament champions lost for the first time in 24 games and finished with a sparkling 30-3 record, best in school history.
In the Friday evening upset, the Pilots were led by 19 points from Melvion Flanagan. LSUS scored 51 second-half points and overcame an 11-point deficit down the stretch, took the lead and nearly won in regulation, but the Coyotes (23-9) hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer to force OT.
In extra time, LSUS scored on all seven of its possessions to stun the hosts and a near-capacity, raucous crowd at Mabee Arena.
The Pilots got 19 points and 8 rebounds from Tyler Washington in the romp over Concordia, taking command with a 55-point first half for a 21-point lead. LSUS shot 60 percent from the floor and held Concordia to 39 percent aim.
The Lady Pilots put away Tabor 69-59 on Friday afternoon, scoring 48 points in the paint and outrebounding the smaller Bluejays by 10. Alexis Brown led a balanced LSUS offense with 15 points and 5 assists, while Tahjea Smith topped the winners with eight rebounds. After Tabor closed within 63-59 with 3:16 remaining, it couldn’t score again.
But Saturday’s regional final was a different and unusual story for the LSUS women. Mayville State (26-3) built a 10-point halftime lead, then outscored LSUS by 10 in the final period and posted an 86-65 triumph. Destanee Roblow topped the Lady Pilots with 17 points and 8 rebounds.
LSUS shot just 37 percent while the Comets ripped in 53 percent of their shots.