Madonna and Indiana Tech Fall in Opening Round of NAIA Tournament

The Madonna University Crusaders and Indiana Tech Warriors represented the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) at the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship Opening Round on March 13. The Crusaders and the Warriors came up short and saw their seasons come to an end. Madonna finished with a 24-8 overall record and were champions of the WHAC regular season and tournament. Indiana Tech finished the campaign with a 22-8 overall record.

Southeastern (Fla.) def. Madonna, 91-80 | Box Score

Southeastern used a dominant second half and a near-perfect shooting night from Daivion Traylor to pull away from Madonna for a 91-80 win in the opening round of the NAIA men's basketball tournament Friday night at MOCC. The loss ends Madonna's season, while Southeastern advances after outscoring the Crusaders 44-34 after halftime.

Traylor powered Southeastern with 29 points and 10 rebounds, going 13-for-14 from the field and controlling the interior on both ends. Mylo Santos added 24 points, including a layup at the first-half buzzer that gave Southeastern a 47-46 lead at the break and a burst of momentum it carried into the final 20 minutes.

The first half featured multiple swings, with neither side able to gain much separation. Madonna grabbed an early 15-13 edge on a 3-pointer by Makyle Doss at the 14:08 mark, and the game stayed tight throughout the half. Southeastern answered with transition opportunities, including a fastbreak dunk by DeAntwan Randall that tied the score at 42-42, before Santos' driving layup at the horn nudged the Fire in front heading into the locker room.

Southeastern's defense and interior presence shifted the game after halftime. The Fire held Madonna to 42.3% shooting overall and 29.6% from 3-point range while winning the rebounding battle 41-40, led by Traylor's 10 boards, six of them on the offensive glass. A key stretch came midway through the second half, when Traylor finished a fastbreak dunk to push the lead to 61-57 as Southeastern began to create real separation.

Madonna stayed within reach behind the scoring of senior guard Joey Liedel, who finished with a game-high-tying 28 points to go with eight rebounds and three assists, knocking down five 3-pointers on 10-for-26 shooting. Doss supported him with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists, but the Crusaders struggled to consistently contain Southeastern's balanced attack and second-chance opportunities.

Southeastern shot 51.4% from the field and assisted on 17 of its 36 made baskets while committing just nine turnovers. Santos complemented Traylor's inside dominance with efficient perimeter play, going 9-for-15 from the floor and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, while also adding five rebounds and four assists. Point guard Jayson Nixon chipped in 12 points, nine assists and five rebounds, calmly closing the game with two free throws in the final 35 seconds to set the final margin.

Madonna finished with 30 made field goals and 19 assists but could not match Southeastern's efficiency inside the arc or get enough stops in the closing minutes. The Crusaders' season concludes with the first-round defeat, while Southeastern moves on in the NAIA bracket, buoyed by a statement performance from Traylor and a second half that showcased its depth, pace and defensive pressure.

Cumberlands (Ky.) def. Indiana Tech, 99-86 | Box Score

Cumberlands (Ky.) used a late barrage of 3-pointers to break open a tight game and defeat Indiana Tech 99-86 in an NAIA First Round matchup Friday afternoon in Williamsburg, Ky.

Tied at 77-77 with just over six minutes to play, the Patriots strung together three 3-pointers in a four-possession span to seize control. Andrew McConnell started the decisive surge with a wing three that put Cumberlands back on top 82-77 with 4:08 remaining. Kyle Duke followed with another 3-pointer on the next trip, and Javecckio Thomas capped the game-changing run with a deep three at the 2:29 mark to stretch the margin to 90-77. Indiana Tech never got back within single digits as Cumberlands closed out the 13-point win at the free-throw line.

McConnell led a balanced Cumberlands attack with 21 points and five rebounds, hitting four 3-pointers and going 3-for-4 at the line. Tanner Walton added 19 points and eight rebounds while going a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, and Thomas nearly posted a double-double with 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals. The Patriots shot 48.5% from the field (32 of 66) and 45.7% from 3-point range, knocking down 16 of 35 attempts from distance to offset a modest 76.0% clip at the foul line (19 of 25).

Indiana Tech, which led for stretches of both halves, matched Cumberlands from long range for much of the afternoon but could not withstand the closing surge. The Warriors finished 29 of 69 (42.0%) from the floor and 13 of 29 (44.8%) from 3-point range while hitting 93.8% of their free throws (15 of 16). Blake Davison paced Indiana Tech with 25 points and seven rebounds, including 7-for-8 shooting at the line, and tied the game at 77 with a 3-pointer at the 6:06 mark of the second half. Jaxson Fugate added a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double while blocking two shots and handing out four assists.

The Warriors opened the game with confidence from the perimeter. Dallas Roberts drilled an early 3-pointer to put Indiana Tech in front 10-6, and another triple from Evan Haroldson gave the Warriors an 18-15 edge with 12:33 left in the first half. Even after Cumberlands answered to move in front, Fugate's two free throws with 4:56 remaining pushed Indiana Tech back ahead 33-32 before the Patriots closed the half with a small push to take a 43-39 lead into the break.

Cumberlands appeared to be taking control early in the second half, building a 56-51 advantage before Indiana Tech pieced together one more surge. Davison converted two free throws with 13:42 left to trim the deficit to five, and Haroldson capped the run with a transition 3-pointer to make it 59-54 in favor of the Warriors. From there, the teams traded baskets until Davison's tying three at 77-all set up the final six-minute stretch. Cumberlands' defense stiffened in that span, forcing Indiana Tech into tougher looks while the Patriots' shooters capitalized on clean catch-and-shoot opportunities.

Cumberlands finished with a slight 37-35 edge on the glass and matched Indiana Tech's 18 assists while committing just seven turnovers to the Warriors' nine. The Patriots also turned nine steals and four blocks into transition chances, helping fuel their second-half scoring burst and 56-point output after halftime. Indiana Tech's season ended despite efficient shooting and strong individual efforts, while Cumberlands advanced behind a perimeter performance that produced 16 3-pointers and a decisive closing run in front of its home crowd.