Indiana Tech and Rochester Christian Bow Out of NAIA Championship

Indiana Tech and Rochester Christian represented the WHAC in the NAIA National Championship opening round on March 13th. Both Warriors squads fell short in the opening round, concluding their respective seasons. Indiana Tech, champions of the WHAC regular season and tournament, conclude the season with a 26-6 overall record. Rochester Christian wraps-up its season with a 21-11 mark. 

No. 6 Spring Arbor def. No. 11 Indiana Tech, 59-56 | Box Score 

Indiana Tech's late rally fell just short in a 59-56 postseason loss at Spring Arbor (Mich.) on March 13 in Spring Arbor, Michigan, as the Warriors' potential comeback was denied in the final seconds.

Trailing by two in the closing moments, Indiana Tech twice pulled within a single point behind clutch scoring from leading scorer Ryan Moorer and forward Jaidyn Gulley. Moorer knocked down a 2-pointer with 10 seconds remaining to make it 58-57 after Gulley had sliced the margin to one on a bucket with 11 seconds left. Spring Arbor, however, answered at the line, as Aubrey Crockett split a pair of free throws with eight seconds to play to push the lead to three, and Indiana Tech could not convert on its final chance.

Moorer turned in a standout performance to keep the Warriors in contention from start to finish. The guard scored a game-high 22 points on 10-for-16 shooting, including 1-for-2 from beyond the arc, while adding nine rebounds. Gulley provided a strong interior presence with a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards on 5-for-9 shooting, giving Indiana Tech a consistent option in the paint without committing a turnover.

Indiana Tech had to play from behind most of the night after Spring Arbor used a 13-8 first-quarter advantage to establish early control. The Cougars led 29-26 at halftime and 43-40 heading to the fourth, but the Warriors continued to chip away. Early in the final quarter, Indiana Tech briefly surged in front when Durbin Thomas scored at the 8:41 mark to make it 44-43, marking the Warriors' first lead since the opening minutes. From there, the teams traded baskets in a tense back-and-forth stretch that set up the dramatic finish.

Key spurts throughout the game kept Indiana Tech within striking distance. In the second quarter, Moorer scored repeatedly to trim the deficit, including a 3-pointer with 3:52 left that cut the margin to 22-21. Madison Vice connected from deep late in the third quarter to bring the Warriors within 43-41, and Indiana Tech kept the pressure on the glass, finishing with a 44-39 rebounding edge that included 11 offensive boards. The Warriors also generated seven steals and held Spring Arbor to 20-for-54 shooting from the field.

Offensively, Indiana Tech finished 21-for-63 from the floor and 3-for-18 from 3-point range, relying on its interior scoring and free-throw efficiency to stay close. Jacklyn Crews added nine points, going a perfect 7-for-7 at the line and contributing three rebounds. Despite committing 18 turnovers, the Warriors moved the ball for 13 assists and stayed within one possession for much of the second half.

Spring Arbor was led by 12 points apiece from Rielyn Goodwin and Ashley Weller, with Weller adding three steals to help offset Indiana Tech's advantage on the boards. The Cougars hit five 3-pointers and did just enough at the line, going 14-for-24, including Crockett's late free throw that set the final margin. With the narrow defeat, Indiana Tech's postseason run ended in a one-possession game decided in the final seconds after a resilient push on the road.

No. 2 Rio Grande def. No. 15 Rochester Christian, 80-68 | Box Score

Rio Grande used a dominant third quarter from forward Sophia Kline and a steady inside attack down the stretch to pull away from Rochester Christian (Mich.) for an 80-68 victory Friday night at Newt Oliver Arena.

Clinging to a narrow halftime edge, Rio Grande separated in the third quarter behind Kline, who went 6-for-6 from the field in the frame as the RedStorm turned a tight contest into a multi-possession lead. Her late layup with 32 seconds remaining capped a 24-point, 12-rebound performance and closed the scoring at 80-68 in a neutral-site matchup attended by 400 fans.

The game was tightly contested early. Rochester Christian briefly led 9-8 in the first quarter on a 3-pointer by Ashley Loon, but Rio Grande answered with perimeter shooting of its own. Alyssa Baker hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first quarter to give Rio Grande a 22-20 lead, and the hosts never trailed again. Marina Garcia Perez extended that margin to 29-22 with a 3-pointer at the 7:32 mark of the second quarter before Rochester Christian's Jacey Somers cut the deficit to 37-31 with a 3-pointer of her own.

Rio Grande led 39-37 at the break and began to assert itself in the paint after halftime. Kline's work around the rim, along with a steady floor game from guard Marlee Grinstead, helped push the lead to 51-43 in the third quarter. Rochester Christian responded with a small run to get within four, but Grinstead's jumper in the final minute of the period kept Rio Grande in front 57-53 heading into the fourth.

The RedStorm finally created separation in the final quarter, building a lead that reached 13 points. A layup by Josie Graves with 2:14 left made it 77-64, effectively putting the game out of reach. Rio Grande's balance proved decisive, with three players in double figures and a 35-22 advantage on the glass that turned extra possessions into points.

Grinstead finished with 20 points, nine assists and four rebounds, going 6-for-7 at the free-throw line as Rio Grande shot 33-for-62 (53.2 percent) from the field. Garcia Perez added 10 points and six assists, helping the RedStorm to 20 team assists against 19 turnovers. Rio Grande also collected 15 offensive rebounds to Rochester Christian's nine.

Rochester Christian stayed competitive with efficient shooting, hitting 27 of 52 shots (51.9 percent), but was hurt by 21 turnovers and the rebounding deficit. Guard Samone Andrews matched Kline with 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting and a 6-for-7 night at the line, while Somers contributed 20 points and five rebounds on 9-for-16 shooting, including 2-for-4 from 3-point range. Despite generating 15 steals, Rochester Christian could not overcome Rio Grande's sustained interior production and second-chance opportunities.

The win showcased Rio Grande's inside-out balance and ability to close in the fourth quarter, while Rochester Christian left with strong individual efforts from Andrews and Somers.