Semifinal loss ends season for MidAmerica Nazarene men’s basketball team

MidAmerica Nazarene University of Olathe experienced heartbreak again in the semifinals of the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

The Pioneers, in their third NAIA semifinal since 2009, fell short of the title game by losing 90-83 to No. 1 overall seed Georgetown (Ky.) College on Monday night at Municipal Auditorium.

MidAmerica, 28-9, led 48-43 at halftime, but Georgetown, one of the NAIA’s elite programs for 35 years, stormed back in the second half.

The Pioneers trailed 81-68 with 4 minutes to play when they made a final run, drawing to within 85-81 with 44.9 seconds remaining on a pair of baskets by Justin Randall.

Georgetown’s Tony Kimbro made one of two free throws with 42.2 seconds left, before a tear-drop by MidAmerica Nazarene’s Jonas Page’s with 27.5 seconds cut the deficit to 86-83. But the Pioneers could get no closer.

“We never had the ball with a chance to tie,” Lamar said. “You’ve got to give them credit. They hit some free throws down the stretch. We did a pretty good job to get back in it at the end, but that’s about it.”

MidAmerica won the 2007 Division II national title before moving up to Division I status. But they lost 60-56 to Columbia (Mo.) College in the 2009 Division I semifinals and 76-72 to Emmanuel (Ga.) College in 2014.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Semifinal loss ends season for MidAmerica Nazarene men’s basketball team."