(Story by Taylor Kennedy)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Saturday’s Division II men’s basketball national title game featured multiple storylines that could become part of a movie, including Nova Southeastern head coach Jim Crutchfield facing his former team, West Liberty, and apprentice Ben Howlett.
The Sharks never let their foot off the gas in a 111-101 victory over the West Liberty Hilltoppers in the men’s Division II national title game Saturday afternoon in Evansville, Indiana.
“It has been a storybook season with a storybook ending to it,” Crutchfield mentioned. “West Liberty is a great basketball program. I thought it was a great game. I thought it was everything everyone wanted it to be. Both teams scored over 100 points, and the action was non-stop.”
The win caps off Nova Southeastern’s 36-0 undefeated season, and the Sharks became the sixth Division II team to finish their season unbeaten. West Liberty’s finished its 2022-23 campaign 33-4.
“I want to congratulate Coach Crutchfield and Nova Southeastern,” said WLU head coach Ben Howlett. “I am happy for him. I played and worked for him. He deserves this national title. I am super-disappointed we lost the game. These guys are good people. That is what is important to me is that they are good people. They are the total package.
“I am proud of our team. They have nothing to be ashamed of.”
Howlett remains confident in his program after appearing in his first national title game as West Liberty’s head coach.
“We will be back,” Howlett noted. “We will be back here. This ignites me, and I hope it ignites our players. We are going to work even harder. We will have two weeks off, and then it is back to work to prepare for next season.”
Nine players from both sides recorded double-figures, including WLU’s Bryce Butler leading all scorers with 32 points. Three players for Nova Southeastern scored 20 or more points. Former Hilltopper Will Yoakum scoring a team-high 31 points.
Nova Southeastern’s RJ Sunahara added 28 points, and Dallas Graziani posted 24.
West Liberty guard Christian Montague scored 19 points Saturday afternoon.
Both sides traded multiple runs and big baskets throughout the first half, including both teams combining for 15 points in the final 1:38.
A Zach Rasile three-pointer cut West Liberty’s deficit to four, 52-48, with 34 seconds remaining. Rasile connected on three triples.
However, Yoakum responded with a three of his own with four seconds remaining to give Nova Southeastern a seven-point advantage going into the half, 55-48.
The Hilltoppers knew they must keep the same pace as the Sharks to stay within arms reach. WLU finished the first half shooting 46 percent. Yet, West Liberty’s defense allowed Nova Southeastern to shoot 63 percent in the first 20 minutes, including 50 percent from the perimeter.
“We got off to a bad start and did some uncharacteristic things of us in the first few minutes,” Howlett noted. “We spent most of the first half digging ourselves out of a hole. We had cut the lead down to four points, but they hit a three just ahead of the horn to go up seven at the half, and I thought that gave them a big boost.”
The Sharks stretched their lead out to double-figures midway through the second half. Still, West Liberty largely remained in striking distance to a Butler triple, cutting WLU’s deficit to ten, 90-80.
However, Nova Southeastern answered by scoring eight of the following nine points to give the Sharks their largest lead at 17, 98-81.
West Liberty continued to fight in the waning minutes of the game. The Hilltoppers got as close as five, 106-101, with 29 seconds remaining following a Butler triple.
But the Sharks closed the game by scoring five free throws, including three from Kobe Rodgers.