2001 Division III men's basketball tournament

Most Outstanding Player Pat Maloney

Senior guard Andy Rice scored 17 points to lead Catholic University to a 76-62 win over William Paterson University in the title game of the 2001 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. The title was the first for the Cardinals who finished the season 28-5.

Rice's 17 points came on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from behind the arc. Senior guard Pat Maloney added 16 for the Cardinals, while Tim Judge and sophomore center Matt Hilleary also scored in double figures with 12 points apiece.

Senior guard Horace Jenkins led William Paterson with a game-high 21 points and also pulled down five rebounds in 39 minutes of play. Junior forward Mufeed Thomas chipped in with a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds).

The Cardinals jumped out to an early 13-4 lead to start the game. It wasn't until the 10:12 mark in the second half, on a free throw by Jenkins, that the Pioneers took their first lead at 46-45. Jenkins drained a running jumper at the 8:59 mark to give William Paterson its biggest lead of the game, 48-45.

Jenkins hit one of two free throws at the 6:50 mark to put the Pioneers up one, 51-50. Rice nailed a three on Catholic's next possession, however, to give them a lead they would keep the remainder of the game. The Pioneers trimmed the lead to four with 3:27 left but Catholic hit 11 of 14 free throws, including a stretch of 11 in a row, over the final 1:06 to preserve the victory.

Catholic shot 46.2 percent for the game and was 76.2 percent from the charity stripe. William Paterson finished the game shooting 31.1 percent from the field and just 25.9 percent in the first half.

Championship
Catholic 76, William Paterson 62
at Salem, Va. (att. 3,317)

 2001 Tournament Coverage

   Inside Catholic

   Inside Illinois Wesleyan

   Inside William Paterson

All-Tournament Team
Pat Maloney, Catholic (Most Outstanding Player)
Matt Hilleary, Catholic
Horace Jenkins, William Paterson
Chad Bostleman, Ohio Northern
Luke Kasten, Illinois Wesleyan

Third-Place Game
Illinois Wesleyan 76, Ohio Northern 73

National Semifinals
Catholic 82, Ohio Northern 76
William Paterson 67, Illinois Wesleyan 52

 
First Round Second Round Sectional at Chicago
Wis.-Eau Claire 66
Benedictine 55		 Chicago 74
Wis.-Eau Claire 67
 Chicago 62
Lewis & Clark 52		 Chicago 68
Illinois Wesleyan 77
Cal Lutheran 66
Linfield 85		 Lewis & Clark 101
Linfield 89
Washington U. 101
Aurora 84		 Elmhurst 78
Washington U. 77
 Elmhurst 60
Illinois Wesleyan 63
Illinois Wesleyan 132
Grinnell 91
 Illinois Wesleyan 65
Wartburg 60
First Round Second Round Sectional at Christopher Newport
Roanoke 70
Savannah A&D 62
 Christopher Newp. 84
Roanoke 54
 CNU 71
St. John's 65		 Wm. Paterson 86
CNU 75 (OT)
Gustavus Adolphus 69
Nebraska Wesleyan 60
 St. John's 84
Gustavus Adolphus 75
Mississippi College 61
Millsaps 45		 McMurry 86
Mississippi College 82
 McMurry 59
William Paterson 77
Hampden-Sydney 60
Gettysburg 52
 William Paterson 84
Hampden-Sydney 65
First Round Second Round Sectional at Ohio Northern
Salem State 96
Western N.E. 71
 Mass.-Dartmouth 86
Salem State 64
 Mass.-Dartmouth 41
Carthage 90		 Carthage 64
Ohio Northern 66
Carthage 83
Marian 65		 Carthage 88
Wooster 80
Maryville (Tenn.) 85
MacMurray 69
 Wittenberg 71
Maryville (Tenn.) 51		 Wittenberg 66
Ohio Northern 82
Calvin 89
Defiance 78
 Ohio Northern 79
Calvin 68
First Round Second Round Sectional at Clark
Kings Point 106
Cabrini 96		 Kings Point 100
Wilkes 98 (OT)
 Kings Point 69
Clark 75		 Clark 78
Catholic 82
Amherst 89
St. John Fisher 76
 Clark 89
Amherst 76
Catholic 82
CCNY 65
 Catholic 69
Widener 67		 Catholic 69
Brockport State 64
Brockport State 65
Colby-Sawyer 59		 Brockport State 77
Hobart 75