A 22-5 run in the second half turned a 10-point UW-Stevens Point deficit into a seven-point lead, 66-59, as the Pointer men's basketball team held on for a 78-73 victory over the Ephs of Williams College in the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship Game.
The 29th victories ties a school record for most wins in a season by a Pointer men's team, equaling the mark set by both the 2004 and 2005 National Championship teams.
"All I can say is we had tremendous courage at about that 10 minute mark when we fought back and put ourselves in position to reach our dreams," said Pointer head coach Bob Semling. "To be able to finish this game and finish this season with a victory ... I'm extremely proud."
The first half was a see-saw battle with three ties and two lead changes as neither team led by more than six. The Pointers shot 44.4 percent from the field, led by Matt Moses who was 5-of-7 from the floor with 12 points.
The Pointers' defense forced nine turnovers and had seven steals in the opening stanza, as the Ephs were only able to take a two-point edge into halftime, 32-30.
"[At halftime] we really looked each other in the eye and we understood the urgency and we talked about the fact that we were saying the right things but we weren't doing them," said Semling. "Our guys just dug deep. They had great will, great determination and they agreed they said we know what to do, we just have it do it and it just seemed to change."
In the second half, the Pointers tied the game for the sixth time, 36-36, before Williams jumped in front by 10, 54-44, at the 11:02 mark.
A pair of Jared Jenkins' free throws and some clutch three-point baskets by Dan Tillema and Louis Hurd# gave the Pointers the lead.
Down the stretch, the Pointers connected on eight of their nine free throws to seal their third national title in program history.
Moses, who was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, led the way with 22 points on an eight of 15 shooting performance from the floor. He connected on all six of his free-throw attempts for the game and led the team with seven rebounds in the final game of his career.
Jenkins, who was named to the Final Four's All-Tournament Team, chipped in 17 points and two blocks while Tillema chipped in 15, including three three-pointers, in just 15 minutes of work. Hurd finished at the fourth Pointer in double figures, closing out the game with 10 points.
The Pointers shot a blistering 53.1 percent from the floor in the second half and 55.6 percent (5-9) from beyond the arc.