Virginia Union Denied Second Straight Division II Basketball Championship
March 25, 2006
Springfield, Mass. – David Zellman led five players in double figures with a game high 26 points leading Winona State University (Minn.) to it’s first NCAA Division II men’s basketball championship with a 73-61 victory over defending champion Virginia Union University before 4,093 at the MassMutual Center this afternoon.
John Smith was named tournament most outstanding player, adding a double double of 10 points and 13 rebounds as the Warriors (32-4) finished the season winning their final 22 games.
"We played great and were fortunate to come out with a win," beamed winning Head Coach Mike Leaf. "We took control early and were able to finish. I am just so proud of this team."
Jonte Flowers notched 15 points for Winona State, while Quincy Henderson added 12 and Zach Malvik hit for 10.
"Having four to five guys who can score in double figures has been a key all year," said Leaf. "It’s been a characteristic of this team all year and it was again today."
Brad Byerson was the only Panther to reach double figures, finishing with 22 points. Virginia Union (30-4) fell just short in bidding to become just the fourth team in Division II history to win back-to-back titles.
Winona State never trailed in the contest, breaking out to a 13-4 lead over the first 3:50 of the game. Virginia Union answered with three straight scores to cut the lead to 13-10 with 14:37 left in the half, but the Warrior defense held the Panthers to just three points over the next 6:36 and built the lead to 26-13 after a three-pointer from Zellman with 8:01 to go.
The Warriors shot 46-percent in the first half including 6-for-14 from the three point arc to lead by as many as 18 before a late Virginia Union run cut the lead to 38-29 at the break
Virginia Union closed to within five at 54-49 on a layup by Duan Crockett with 8:32 to play, but Winona answered with a 12-4 run over the next 3:47 ending with another Zellman three-pointer for a 64-51 lead with 4:45 left.
The Panthers again worked the lead back down to seven with 2:11 to play after two free throws from Byerson, but Zellman answered with an enormous three pointer from the right corner with 1:29 left, sealing the victory.
"I actually had a smile on my face as the ball went in," said Leaf. "It was such a key shot. The defender was flying towards him and he just stayed with the target."
Smith was a defensive force, pulling down 11 defensive rebounds as Winona State finished with a 39-32 advantage on the boards. "I just went out and did the same thing I do every game," noted Smith. "I just had to make sure my nerves didn’t get in the way. I came from a small high school so his was a little nerve-wracking for me. We’re proud of our accomplishment. The whole team wanted to prove that we could do anything."
Virginia Union Head Coach Dave Robins was gracious in defeat. "We’re disappointed we did not win, but the best team won," said Robins. "We didn’t have our ‘A’ game, which sometimes happens, but 30-4 is a great year. We’re not embarrassed to be second best in the country."
Smith and Zellman represented Winona State on the Elite Eight All Tournament Team. They were joined by Byerson and Darius Hargrove from Virginia Union along with Tony Binetti of Seattle Pacific University.
