SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Chris Dowe and Jeremy Kendle scored 16 points apiece and Bellarmine held on to defeat BYU-Hawaii 71-68 to win the NCAA Division II championship.
Justin Benedetti added 15 points for Bellarmine (33-2), which had five players score in double figures.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Benedetti said. “Our team worked hard all year long. We just wanted to show the world how we play Bellarmine basketball, and let’s do it together.”
Tsung-Hsien Chang led BYU-Hawaii (22-9) with 35 points, the fourth most in championship game history, after scoring 43 in the semifinal to earn MVP honors for the tournament.
“The last moments for me, incredibly humbling,” said Bellarmine coach Scott Davenport, a former assistant coach at Louisville under Denny Crum and Rick Pitino. “If you look at college basketball Division I, II and III, there are only three national champions a year. That is incredibly humbling.”
