Blue Knights to Host Regional Championship on Sunday
Blue Knights to Host Regional Championship on Sunday
DCTC takes three overtime periods to overtake Gogebic Michigan
Rosemount, Minn. - The DCTC Blue Knights will host the college's first ever regional basketball championship on Sunday at 1:00pm as a result of a thrilling triple overtime win in the semifinal game of the NJCAA Region XIII Division II Mens basketball tournament.
Wednesday night's regional semifinal game was played at DCTC's home facility, the St. Paul Salvation Army. DCTC led the Samsons the entire game from the first bucket until the last .2 of a seconds of the game when a feisty Gogebic Community College sank a game tying shot to knot the score at 61. It would take three overtime periods for the Blue Knights to pull away and eventually win 91-84.
DCTC Sophomores Andre Aakre (Champlin Park) and Tim Lott (College Station, TX) comment after the win (See video):
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Head Coach Ben Davis summed up the game and upcoming championship (See video):
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DCTC hosted the semifinal as a result of a two game season series sweep of Gogebic. DCTC's last and only playoff win in basketball was in its inaugural season three years ago. Sundays Championship game will be the college athletic programs' (all sports) 10th regional championship appearance. Mens basketball lost the regional final three years ago at Bismarck State College. A win on Sunday would be the first basketball championship while Ben Davis is coaching in his second season. The Blue Knights are poised for its best basketball season yet with a 23-7 overall record going into the championship.
DCTC will host Dakota College Bottineau on Sunday at 1pm at the St. Paul Salvation Army. Bottineau advanced to the final by defeating United Tribes Technical College on Wednesday night in Bismarck North Dakota. The winner of Sunday's championship will host a one game district playoff against the champion from NJCAA Region IX (Nebraska, Montana and Wyoming). That game would be played on Sunday March 8th with that winner advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament to be held in Danville Illinois March 17-21.