WILBERFORCE — Beacom/Lewis Gym has become a dreaded spot for visiting teams. And with an NCAA Division II tournament berth on the line, the Central State Marauders men's basketball team wasn't in a hospitable mood.
CSU remained undefeated at home this season with a critical 87-75 win over Saint Joseph's College of Indiana on Monday, Feb. 22.
“This gets us one step closer to the NCAAs,” said coach Doug Lewis. “We had many different motivations for this game. “I have a lot of guys who haven't won championships. They want that. They want to be winners.”
Central State (20-5, 10-0 at home) entered the game ranked sixth in the Division II Midwest Region, with the top eight teams to receive automatic berths into the tournament. The importance of the game was palpable and in the dying minutes, the crowd began waving keys, signifying that it was time for Saint Joe's to go home.
“I believe that this was the biggest game of our season,” said senior Gino Smith, who had a game-high 22 points. “We had to bring it.”
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