Titans' NCAA Postseason Starts With Win Over Pioneers
Jack Flynn scored a season-high 29 points on 11 of 14 shooting from the field, Adam Fravert recorded a double-double and nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh rolled to a 74-58 victory over Transylvania University (Ky.) in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship on Friday (March 6) in Naperville, Ill.
UW-Oshkosh (20-8) reclaimed the lead for good at 18-16 following a Fravert layup with 9:49 left in the first half. The Titans closed out the opening period with a 17-9 run for a 40-29 advantage at intermission and led by at least 10 points for the last 17:28. UW-Oshkosh, ranked 24th in the nation by D3hoops.com, later put the game away with a 15-2 run for a 57-36 lead with 12 minutes to play.
The Titans advance to play at 7 p.m. Saturday (March 7) against host North Central College in the Naperville Regional final. Eleventh-ranked North Central College (22-5) reached the regional's championship game with a 69-54 win over Adrian College (Mich.) (17-12), which was making its NCAA postseason debut.
Flynn added nine rebounds, including three on the offensive end, and three assists in his program record-tying 121st career game.
Fravert, the WIAC Co-Player of the Year, had 12 points, a career high-tying 15 rebounds and a team-best four assists en route to his 13th double-double of the season. He now ranks third in school history with 796 career rebounds and fifth with 308 assists.
Nine Titans scored Friday, including Will Mahoney with 10 points off the bench, and starters Eric Peterson and Eddie Muench with seven and five points, respectively.
UW-Oshkosh shot 29 of 60 (.483) from the floor, 7-for-25 (.280) from 3-point range and 9-for-17 (.529) at the free throw line. The Titans, who entered the night ranked seventh in the country with a +10.1 average rebounding margin, owned advantages of 48-33 in rebounds, 16-9 in assists and 2-1 in blocks.
Transylvania University, which was making its first NCAA appearance since 2013, went 21 of 60 (.350) from the floor, 5-for-25 (.200) from beyond the 3-point arc and 11 of 21 (.524) at the foul line. The Pioneers held edges of 9-11 in turnovers 7-3 in steals. Transylvania University's .524 free throw percentage was a season low.
Pioneers reserve Zach Larimore and starter Gabe Schmitt led the team with 13 and 12 points, respectively, while Michael Jefferson had five points to go along with a team-best eight rebounds. Schmitt paced the squad with both four assists and three steals.
Transylvania University took its first lead of the game at 12-11 following a Larimore jumper with 12:34 left in the first half. Larimore's basket in the lane then provided the Pioneers their final advantage at 14-13 as Peterson drained a 3-pointer for a 16-14 UW-Oshkosh edge before Fravert gave the Titans the lead to stay less than a minute later. Clinging to a 23-20 lead, UW-Oshkosh scored seven straight points, including five from Mahoney, to up its advantage to 30-20 at the 6:48 mark of the first half.
The Titans' decisive 15-2 run during the second half featured eight points by Flynn as the Titans turned a 42-34 lead at the 17:48 mark into a 57-36 advantage after a Brian Wilman layup with 12:07 to play. The Titans went on to build their largest lead of 22 points at 74-52 following a Quinn Steckbauer layup with 3:47 left.
Transylvania University is still seeking its first Division III tournament win since advancing to the 2006 national semifinals.
UW-Oshkosh, which reached 20 wins for the third consecutive season, is the defending national champion and the 2018 Division III runner-up. The Titans, making their fifth consecutive and 10th overall NCAA postseason appearance, sport a 19-8 record in the national tournament.
The Titans previously defeated North Central College, 76-66, during their second game of the season Nov. 12 in Naperville. The host Cardinals, back in the Division III Championship for the fifth straight season and 12th time overall, have an 11-12 record in the NCAA tournament. North Central College, which was eliminated in the second round of the Division III postseason a year ago, advanced to the 2013 national semifinals.
NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Naperville Regional Website
NCAA Division III Men's Basketball • NCAA.com Website
NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Interactive Bracket
2020 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Digital Program