University Heights, Ohio - The Alma College men's basketball team won its first-ever game in the NCAA Division III Tournament on Friday (March 4) evening, defeating Denison University (Ohio), 74-60, at the DeCarlo Varsity Center on the campus of John Carroll University. Alma improves its record to 22-6 overall, while Denison ends its season with a 17-12 mark.
Senior DJ Beckman (Shelby, Mich./Shelby) paced Alma with a game-high 17 points, while senior Scott Nikodemski (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) scored 15 points as five Scots scored in double figures. Sophomore Jason Beckman (Shelby, Mich./Shelby) also hit six of his nine shots for 14 points and collected a career-high six rebounds, sophomore Doug Bradfield (Mason, Mich./Mason) scored 13 points and junior Trevor Gernaat (McBain, Mich./Northern Michigan Christian/Mid-Michigan CC) netted 11 points and pulled down six boards.
The win advances the Scots to the second round, where they will face host and fifth-ranked John Carroll, which defeated Saint Vincent College (Pa.), 99-85, in the opening round. In addition, the game was also the 22nd win for Alma, which ties the 1940-41 squad for the school record for victories in a season.
The game featured a 15-2 run by the Scots early in the first half, including back-to-back three-pointers by DJ Beckman put Alma up 20-8 before a three-point play by Beckman, who has 12 points in the stanza, pushed the lead to 13 at 23-10. The Big Red began to finish its shooting touch later in the half David Maurer hit three triples, but Alma kept Denison at arm's length to enter halftime up by nine at 38-29.
In the second half, every time the Big Red mounted a surge, the Scots would answer. Denison could not get within six points of Alma, and a 13-4 run in the latter stages of the second half allowed Alma to pull away for the victory.
The Scots finished the game shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three-point range while Denison hit 36.8 percent of its shots and out rebounded Alma by a 36-31 margin, including 14-4 on the offensive glass. Jett Speelman paced the Big Red with 15 points.
Alma remains one of 32 teams alive in the tournament and will take on John Carroll in the second round on Saturday, March 5, at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the sectional round of the NCAA III Tournament.
NOTES
• Alma picked up its 22nd win of the season, tying the school record for wins
• Alma is 18-2 this season when leading at the half.
• The Scots are 19-1 this year when four or more players scored in double figures.
• Alma is 6-1 at neutral sites this season.
• Both MIAA schools in the NCAA Tournament advanced to the NCAA III Second Round. Hope defeated Mount St. Joseph, 98-87 at Augustana College in Illinois.
• Alma is now 16-2 in games decided by 11 or more points.
• The Scots improved to 18-2 when scoring 70 or more points.
• Alma is now 16-2 when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor.
• Jason Beckman pulled down a career-high six rebounds.
• Doug Bradfield recorded a season-high three steals.
• DJ Beckman's three three-pointers moved him within four of the single-season school record. Beckman has 72 threes this season to rank second all-time. The school record is held by Nate Jervey, who hit 76 threes in 2005-06.
• Scott Nikodemski is now six assists away from the single-season school record, held by Steve Ernst (147 in 1988-89). Nikodemski has 141 helpers, second-best in Alma history.
• Nikodemski has now his double-figures in seven straight games and in all but three games this season.
• Jason Beckman has scored 10 or more points in five of his last seven appearances.
• DJ Beckman has reached double figures in all but six games this season, including seven of the last nine games.
QUOTES
Head Coach Sam Hargraves
"I thought defensively we moved well and we set the tone early and that was a big thing coming in. Denison had one of the scariest three-game stretches that I've ever had to watch and they way they shot the ball - a lot of them were threes. The stereotype is that you only zone teams that don't shoot threes and that really isn't our way if doing it. It's our base defense, we put a tone of time into it, and we try to do something differently than the traditional zone would be. Shooting is such a rhythm and confidence thing, and I hoped that threw them out of rhythm enough that we got them to miss. Credit to them on an unbelievable season and an unbelievable run to finish the year. I'm just thrilled that we got a win."