2008-09 DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP MARCH 17, 2009
Hutchinson, Kansas
For Tournament Information, 2009 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Site
Tournament Director: Jerry Ricksecker
20 Compound Drive
P.O. Box 1907
Hutchinson, KS 67504-1907
Ph: 620-662-3331
Fax: 620-662-9978
NJCAA Representative: Randy Stange
Tourname620-662-3331nt Dates: March 17-21, 2009
2009 Tournament Qualifiers
District 1: Salt Lake Community College, Utah (27-6)
District 2: Connors State College, Okla. (26-7)
District 3: Allegany College, Md. (29-5)
District 4: Highland Community College, Ill. (28-5)
District 5: Midland College, Texas (30-3)
District 6: Garden City Community College, Kan. (23-11)
District 7: Southwest Tennessee Community College (25-1)
District 8: Chipola College, Fla. (31-1)
District 9: Lamar Community College, Colo. (24-10)
District 10: Cape Fear Community College, N.C. (20-12)
District 11: North Dakota State College of Science (30-2)
District 12: Shelton State Community College, Ala. (31-2)
District 13: South Georgia Technical College, Ga. (27-6)
District 14: Navarro College, Texas (25-9)
District 15: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (19-9)
District 16: Southwestern Illinois College (31-2)
NOTE: Above records are before tournament play
Salt Lake Wins First Ever National Title with 67-60 Win Over Midland
March 21, 2009
HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- The moral of the 2009 NJCAA Men's DI Basketball Championship Game? Don't judge a book by its cover. Although trailing for most of the game and looking overmatched, Salt Lake Community College (Utah) claimed its first-ever national title on March 21 at the Sports Arena in Hutchinson with a comeback for the ages.
Down 51-36 with a little over 11 minutes left in regulation, it looked as if Midland College (Texas) would claim the fourth NJCAA title for the state of Texas in five years. The Chaparrals dominated the first half and continued to impose their will on the Bruins of Salt Lake for much of the second half.
But like many games throughout the 62nd annual tournament, a big lead vanished. The Bruins electrified a crowd of over 5,000 with a 22-1 run, including 17 unanswered points. Ricky Shoff's three-pointer with 5 minutes and 22 seconds remaining gave Salt Lake its first lead since early in the first half.
Unfortunately for Midland, Norm Parrish's team would never give up the lead, hitting free throws down the stretch to clinch the school's first-ever NJCAA title.
Lost in the scoring blitz by Salt Lake was their aggressive defense that shut down Midland when it mattered most, holding the Chaparrals to just nine points in the final 11-plus minutes. In fact, defense was a big factor in Salt Lake's title run as they limited their opponents to just 35.6 percent shooting in Hutchinson, which ranks seventh in tournament history.
Salt Lake forward Nate Bendal led the team with 21 points on 8 of 11 shooting from the field. He will be playing ball next year at Utah State. Tournament MVP DJ Wright had 12 for the Bruins in the title game, but averaged 24 points a contest for the tournament and led all players with 10.8 rebounds a game.
Midland was led by Greg Hill who finished with 25 points thanks to 6 of 12 shooting from behind the three-point arc, which ties a tourney record for most three-pointers made in a title game.
Salt Lake, which took second place in 2008, finishes 2009 with a 31-6 record, while Midland caps their season at 33-4.
Salt Lake's DJ Wright averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds a game in the tournament to earn MVP honors. Photo by Andrew Carpenter, Hutchinson Community College.
Salt Lake's Nate Bendall battles Midland's Marlon Louzeiro for a rebound during the title game. Bendall led Salt Lake with 21 points. Photo by Andrew Carpenter, Hutchinson Community College.
After finishing second in 2007, the Bruins of Salt Lake captured the 2009 title with a 67-60 win over Midland. Photo by Andrew Carpenter, Hutchinson Community College.
Salt Lake head coach Norm Parrish cuts down the championship net after he led his team to one of