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72 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, April 4, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 17, 2004 Baker leads Oregon Tech to NAIA championship POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. —Sixteenth-seeded Oregon Institute of Technology defeated second-seeded Bellevue University (Neb.) 81-72 in the championship game of the 13th Annual NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship. This is the first national title for the Owls, who finished as national runner-up in the 1998 event. Oregon Tech (30-9) becomes the lowest seed to win the national championship; the previous team to hold that distinction was Northwestern College (Iowa), who won in 2001 as the seventh-seed. "This is amazing because we came here just hoping to get out of the first round," said Oregon Tech coach Dan Miles. "We shot the lights out in the first half and our defense was the key to the second half. It’s wonderful to win the national title with this group of seniors." Tournament Most Valuable Player Kevin Baker led Oregon Tech with 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field, including an impressive 6-for-9 from 3-point range. Junior center Alex Carlson finished with 14 points, while Michael Nunes had 11 points. The Owls out-rebounded Bellevue 30-to-26, while Carlson led the way with eight rebounds. Todd Matthews finished his career with nine assists, three steals, and four points. Oregon Tech finished the game shooting over 51% from the field (27-for-52) and 50% from the 3-point line (15-for- 30). This was the sixth national championship appearance for OIT. To get to the final game, the Owls defeated Dominican University (Calif.) 71-69 in the first round, then upset top-seeded Jamestown College (N.D.) 73-66 in the second round, defeated eighth- seeded Cedarville University (Ohio) 83-75 in the quarterfinals, and knocked off fifth-seeded St. Ambrose University (Iowa) 80-67 in the semifinals. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times