Dawson Men Headed to Nationals for First Time Ever!
On Saturday night in Glendive, the Dawson Community College Buccaneers punched their ticket to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas with a 68-67 win. It was their 13th win in a row and they led from start to finish against the 6th ranked team in the country, the Indian Hills Community College Warriors. The loss snapped the Warriors 13 game win streak. With 12 minutes remaining, Dawson had a 17 point advantage, but the visiting Warriors fought all the way back and had a couple of chances in the final three seconds to win it. In the end, just like all season, it was DCC's defense that won the game and the North Central District Championship.
Dawson jumped out to a 5-1 lead on a lay-up by Charles Lampten and a 3-pointer by Michael Jok. After a 3-pointer by Indian Hill’s Tyem Freeman, Riley Spoonhunter connected on three free throws for Dawson and Jok scored again to give them a 10-4 advantage. They built up ten point leads a couple of times, but couldn’t shake the pesky Warriors and went into the half clinging to a slim 33-30 lead. Dawson’s defense forced 7 turnovers in the first half and held the Warriors to 37.5% shooting from the field and 23% shooting from long range.
The Bucs went on a 21-8 run shortly into the second half with a balanced attack. Kennedy Brown scored on a jump shot with 10:21 remaining to give the home team a commanding 57-40 lead. With an automatic berth in the National Tournament at stake, Indian Hills wasn’t going to go down without a fight. They went on an 18-4 run, highlighted by some posterizing dunks from Freeman and Chris Payton. They got within 3 points at 58-61 with just under five minutes remaining. Brown answered back with a traditional 3-point play. With a minute left and clinging to a two point lead, the Buc’s Jajuan Tot drove and made a little floater in the lane. Dawson got a stop on the next possession and forced Indian Hills to foul with 20 seconds left. With a chance to ice the game, Dawson missed the front end of a one and one. The Warriors raced down the floor and banked in a 3-pointer to pull within one point. With ten seconds left, Dawson missed a free throw again, leaving the door open for the dramatic ending. Indian Hills shot a desperation 3-pointer through a double team in the corner. It bounced off and they had two chances for a tip in at the end, but neither of those found the inside of the hoop.
The Bucs held a really good 3-point shooting team to 20% on the night (5-24). Dawson shot it even worse from long range, but made up for it by shooting 50% from inside the arc. Dawson's bench was the difference in the game, outscoring the visitors 26-8.
Head Coach Joe Peterson shared his elation, "The toughness this group has shown all year long is amazing. They always play hard, always defend, and never give up. This game followed a similar pattern to many of our games. We took the lead early, built on it, let them back in the game, and then closed it out with a defensive stop at the end. This is a moment these guys will remember for the rest of their lives, but I think the rest of the students and community will also remember for a long time. Our crowd was great tonight. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it louder in there before! As I reflect on this moment, I think about the players who have played for Dawson over the years and especially the coaches who invested so much time and energy to build this program. I'm so thankful for our administration's support all year long, how the community backs this team, but more than anything, I'm thankful to God for opening the door for me to return to my alma mater and work with special young men like this and be a part of special moments like we had tonight. I might be crazy, but it really felt like God was on top of the basket blocking those final few shots at the end! I hope our success can bring glory to Him."
Dawson had three guys in double figures, led by Kennedy Brown's 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. Michael Jok added 14 points and 9 rebounds while Cordell Stinson tallied 10 points and 8 rebounds. Tyem Freeman led Indian Hills with 20 points and 7 rebounds.
This is the first time in the 63 history of Buccaneer basketball that they have qualified for Nationals. They will find out Sunday at 5:00 pm on the NJCAA Selection Show who and when they will play at Nationals. The Division 1 National Tournament will be at the Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, Kansas April 19-24.
