Men's Basketball Team Advances to NAIA Division I Championship
April 01, 2003

Men's Basketball Team Advances to NAIA Division I Championship

Mountain State University's men's basketball team is on a roll at the 66th Annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Tournament, being played at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. An 106-89 defeat of Georgetown College (Ky.) has earned the Cougars play in their first national championship game and a school record 32-6 season.

Tonight at 8 pm EST the MSU Cougars face Concordia University (34-4), who gained an 81-58 victory over McKendree College on the other side of the "Fab Four" bracket.

"This is a historic moment for Mountain State University," said President Charles H. Polk. "We are proud of the outstanding success of our basketball team. They are extraordinary athletes and fine representatives of intercollegiate competition. We are thrilled with both the academic and athletic achievements that have brought our team this far."

Seeded fourth at the beginning of the tournament, MSU dispatched Montana's Rocky Mountain University 88-80 in the first round. The team then defeated Wayland Baptist University of Texas 94-85 to advance to the quarterfinals, where they won 108-106 in overtime against Oklahoma Baptist University.

Under the leadership of Head Coach Bob Bolen, the Cougars have become a regular name at the tournament, appearing there every year since 1998.