March 18, 2017
North Lake upsets its way to DIII championship
The Blazers knocked off the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 seeds en route to the national title
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | BOX SCORE | AWARDS
ROCHESTER, Minn. – North Lake (Texas) defeated Elgin (Ill.) 66-56 in Saturday night’s NJCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship Game at the UCR Regional Sports Center.
- Leading the Blazers with a double-double, sophomore forward Dare Brazeal posted 11 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
- Freshman Ayo Dada led North Lake in scoring with 16 points, including a 4-for-8 showing from beyond the arc. The guard was recognized with tournament MVP honors.
- Coming off the bench for the Blazers, freshman forward Josh Harris compiled 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and a team-high three steals.
- Elgin’s top-performer was freshman center Homer Denson who posted a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds – both game-highs.
- The Blazers won their third national title, having previously lifted the championship trophy in 2005-06 and 2007-08.
- Entering the national tournament as the No. 5 seed, North Lake upset No. 4-seed Davidson County (N.C.) 83-77 and top-seeded Anoka-Ramsey (Minn.) 56-54 to reach the final.
- Despite finishing with a 22-11 record overall, North Lake finished the year 12-3 against DIII opponents.
Photos by Greg Mittelsteadt