Nelson-AIC Wins NCCAA Basketball National Championship

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – In just the program’s second season, Nelson University-American Indian College (Nelson-AIC), Phoenix, won the NCCAA Basketball National Championship after defeating No. 1 Columbia International University 89-74 on March 22, at Keeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Missouri.

The No. 2 Nelson AIC Warriors and Columbia Rams played back-and-forth throughout the entire first half. Down by six, the Warriors used a 15-5 run over 3:26 to take a four-point lead, their largest of the game to that point. The Rams fought back to tie the score at 43 at halftime.

The game remained close until a 10-4 run following a Larry Holmes jumper put Nelson back up by six 6:27 into the half. Following a flurry of 3-pointers, a 11-2 run was capped by an alley-oop slam dunk by Harley Upton.

Up by 15, the final nine minutes became about game management, staying in control of both sides of the ball, and surviving continued pressure from the Rams, who cut the lead to 10 points with 5:08 remaining. The gap would never move closer, and when Orlando Gonzales stole the ball with 33 seconds to go, the Warriors found themselves in a position to watch the game clock tick down to zero, and let the emotion of the moment sink in.

“I can’t easily articulate how I feel right now,” gushed head coach Kole Ebert, who took over the program two games into the season. “. These guys played their hearts out all season. They put it all on the line every play of every game, and it paid off for them. This championship is the fruit of their efforts.”

Ebert also spoke highly of the team’s character, “The way they carry themselves both on and off the court represent the school and their communities exceptionally.”

Nelson AIC’s Harley Upton and was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player after shooting 56.8% from the field and 47.0% from the 3-point line. Upton averaged 24 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3 assists per game for the tournament. Upton and Rob Jenkins were both named to the All Tournament Team. Jenkins achieved a double-double in the championship game with 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. For the tournament he shot 42.5%, including 37.5% from 3-point range, averaging 18.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

The Warriors finished the year with a record of 24–6. For a complete listing of the All-Tournament Team and other NCCAA awards, click here.

Full results and box scores for all the NCCAA national championship tournament games are posted here.