FORT WAYNE, IND. — A long-awaited day for the Mount Union men’s basketball team has finally arrived. Will he end it with the Purple Raiders crowned domestic champions for the first time?
Mount Union takes on Christopher Newport for the NCAA Division III title today at 4 p.m. Christopher Newport was ranked second in the nation in the last D3hoops.com poll released ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Mount Union was ranked third. It’s no surprise to see both teams here.
Mount Union had never been to the Final Four before this season. Now the Purple Raiders are hoping to end this momentous season with their biggest win yet. “They made history,” head coach Mike Fuline said. “The story is already there. It’s made. Now let’s just add another element to that.”
Check back here throughout the afternoon for live game updates as Mount Union seeks its first national title. While waiting for the tips of the game, here is some information:
Is the Mount Union basketball game on TV?
The NCAA Division III Championship Game will be televised live on CBS Sports Network, beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday.
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Who are Mount Union Basketball’s projected starters in the D3 Championship Game?
- Jeffery Mansfield, 6-3, Sr., G
- Collen Gurley, 6-3, Sr., G
- Darrell Newsom, 6-3, Gr., F
- Christian Parker, 6-6, Jr., F
- Braedon Poole, 6-5, Gr., F
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Who are Christopher Newport’s projected basketball starters in the D3 Championship game?
- Jahn Hines, 6-4, Jr., G
- Trey Barber, 6-8, Jr., F
- Ty Henderson, 5-9, Soph., G
- Matthew Brodie, 6-5, Gr., L
- Colin Hines, 6-4, Fr., G
Who are the basketball coaches of Christopher Newport, Mount Union?
Mike Fuline is 224-97 in 12 seasons at Mount Union. Fuline led the Purple Raiders to four Ohio Athletic Conference regular season championships and four NCAA tournament appearances, including their first Final Four this year. He was named D3hoops.com Region 7 Coach of the Year and NABC District 7 Coach of the Year this season.
John Krikorian is 289-65 in 12 seasons at Christopher Newport. He led the captains to three NCAA Division III Finals. The first two arrived at the end of the 2015-16 and 2018-19 seasons. Krikorian guided Christopher Newport to seven straight NCAA tournaments and nine in his 12 years with captains.
How did Mount Union and Christopher Newport qualify for the NCAA D3 Championship game?
Mount Union beat Anderson 74-65, Lancaster Bible 90-66, North Park 102-85, Wisconsin-Oshkosh 78-67 and Wisconsin-Whitewater 83-79.
Christopher Newport beat Farmingdale State 61-60, Hampden-Sydney 72-59, Mary Hardin-Baylor 72-60, Wheaton 76-70 and Swarthmore 69-66.
A look at Christopher Newport
Like Mount Union, Christopher Newport is playing his first national championship match. The captains reached the Final Four for the third time in the last six Final Four contested.
Junior guard Jahn Hines became the 34th player in Christopher Newport history to score 1,000 career points in Thursday’s semifinal win over Swarthmore. Hines led the captains with 22 points and eight rebounds. He is averaging a team-leading 17.2 points per game.
Christopher Newport entered the Final Four leading the nation in blocked shots per game. Current captains currently average 5.6 blocks per game.
Junior forward Trey Barber had three blocks and 21 points and seven rebounds in the win over Swarthmore. Barber is averaging 13.1 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.
How many Ohio Athletic Conference men’s basketball teams have won national titles?
Mount Union will attempt to become the fourth Ohio Athletic Conference men’s basketball team to win an NCAA Division III national title.
Wittenberg, now a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference, beat Oneonta State 79-66 in the 1977 championship game. Ohio Northern beat Augustana 71-68 in 1993. Otterbein beat Elizabethtown 102-83 in 2002.
Contact Mike at [email protected]
On Twitter: @mpopovichREP
