CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Cal Poly Pomona 53 Findlay 56 FINAL/OT Statistics

(March 28): SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Tyler Evans entered Saturday's national championship game as Findlay's top three-point shooter off the bench this season.

With his team's top scorer on bench after fouling out in overtime, Evans hit the biggest three-pointer of his life to give the Oilers a national championship.

After Findlay had forced a jump ball after missing a chance to go in front with five seconds to play, Evans fired away from about 23 feet away -- and the ball went through the net as the buzzer was sounding to give the Oilers a 56-53 overtime win over Cal Poly Pomona to complete an undefeated season as national champions.

Findlay overcame a rough second half -- scoring only 12 points in those 20 minutes -- in a defensive battle with the Broncos. The Oilers led by 10 at halftime and by as many as 14 nearly four minutes into the second half, but suddenly went ice cold against the Cal Poly Pomona defense. That allowed the Broncos to get back into the game and eventually take a 41-40 lead on a three-pointer by Larry Gordon with 5:29 to go. Findlay regained the lead 16 seconds later on Morgan Lewis' tip-in, then the Broncos tied it back up on a free throw from Tobias Jahn at the 1:42 mark.

Josh Bostic led the Oilers with 13 before fouling out while Lewis ended up with 12. Gordon led all scorers with 17 points while Jahn had 14 for the Broncos.

Findlay won the game despite shooting only 34.5 percent from the field, but the win allowed the Oilers (36-0) to become the fourth team to earn an undefeated national title and first since Fort Hays State in 1996. Cal Poly Pomona shot 42.6 percent in defeat.

Final 2008-09 NABC/Division II rankings

2008-09 Pre-season conference rankings

Additional Division II Information:

NCAA Division II coaches directory