Shawnee State wins NAIA men’s hoops crown in KC; Westmont takes women’s title in Iowa

A title clash featuring two men’s basketball teams with just three losses between them, each seeking its first NAIA national championship, featured all the excitement one might expect Tuesday night.

But Shawnee State had a little too much firepower for Lewis-Clark State in a 74-68 victory at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium in the championship game of the 2021 NAIA national tournament.

A hotly contested first half at KC’s storied downtown venue ended with fifth-seeded Shawnee State (31-2) ahead of third-seeded Lewis-Clark State (22-2) by 10, 40-30.

Shawnee State, of Portsmouth, Ohio, kept up the intensity after intermission to finish the season on a remarkable 27-game winning streak.

Senior wing James Jones had 27 points and 10 rebounds, going 4-of-9 from three-point range for the victorious Bears.

After the game, Shawnee State posed for photos around the coveted red banner given annually to the national champs.

“To get to this moment, to have these guys have something like this,” said Shawnee State coach Delano Thomas, who was also named the NAIA Coach of the Year Tuesday, “it’s not really about me — it’s about them, man.

“It’s about how special they are. I’m just really proud of this group right now.”

Amier Gilmore scored 14 and Miles Thomas added 10 for Shawnee State.

Damek Mitchell had 21 points and eight rebounds for Lewis-Clark State and made four three-pointers. Khalil Stevenson added 19 points, Trystan Bradley 11.

Shawnee State had advanced to the title showdown with a 82-77 win over Saint Francis (Ind.) Monday night. Third-seeded Lewis-Clark State reached the finale with a decisive 83-56 victory over SAGU (Texas).

WESTMONT TRIUMPHS IN SIOUX CITY

At the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, Westmont (Calif.) led Thomas More 34-28 at halftime and 46-41 after three quarters en route to a 72-61 win in the NAIA women’s tournament’s championship game.

Stefanie Berberabe, crowned MVP of the tourney, scored 23 in the winning effort.

Westmont (15-1), the No. 2 seed, had advanced by beating Indiana Wesleyan 74-65 Monday. It’s the second national title in hoops for Westmont, which also won it all in 2013.

Thomas More (29-2), the top seed in the 48-team event, entered the title game on a 14-game winning streak after defeating Morningside (Iowa) College 65-62 in the Monday semis.

This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 9:12 PM.