Tuskegee University wins NCAA Div. II South Regional, advances to Elite 8 in Indiana

LAKELAND, Florida (March 18, 2014) – Who rules the NCAA II South Region in basketball? It is not the Florida Southern Moccasins! It is not the North Alabama Lions! It is not the Delta State Statesmen! It is the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers! The Golden Tigers dismantled the Delta State Statesmen, 80-59, in the championship game of the NCAA Division II South Regional on Tuesday night in Lakeland, Florida.

Head coach Leon Douglas took his Golden Tigers to Florida and captured the South Regional of NCAA II, defeating Florida Southern 98-95 on Saturday, North Alabama 93-87 on Sunday and Delta State 80-59 on Tuesday to advance to the Elite 8, scheduled for next week in Evansville, Indiana, on the campus of Southern Indiana University.

In the championship game, Kevin May, the Golden Tigers' floor general and the tournament's most outstanding player (MOP), scorched the nets for 24 points and dished out five assists. Elliot Dean followed with 15 points, Javier McKinney 14 points and Richard Dixon added 10 points and eight rebounds. May and Dixon were named to the all-tournament team.

Tuskegee University Golden Tigers being presented the Championship trophy
Photo Courtesy: Tuskegee University Athletics

Willie Readus led the third-seeded Statesmen with 16 points and Cornel Knight, Devin Schmidt and Mike Washington added 11 points apiece.

After falling behind the Statesmen, 25-21, at the 7:02 mark in the first half, the Golden Tigers went on a 15-1 run and never relinquished the lead again. The Statesmen trailed the Golden Tigers 41-32 at intermission after Javier McKinney nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The Golden Tigers maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. Twice during the second half, the lead was extended to 30 points. With the Golden Tigers shooting 50 percent from the floor, 82 percent from the free throw line and 46 percent from the three-point range, it was too much for the Statesmen to overcome. All fourteen Golden Tigers saw action in the championship game.

With three wins at the regional and three wins at the SIAC Tournament, the Golden Tigers are on a six-game post-season winning streak, averaging 88.2 points per game. "We are not finished; we have some more games to play," Douglas said. "The team really played well and Kevin May was really outstanding."

Tuskegee is only the second eighth-seeded team to advance to the Elite 8. Saint Joseph's College of Indiana advanced in 2010.

It will be a homecoming for senior guard Kendall Coleman; he is from Hammond, Indiana.

Tuskegee will face the Metropolitan State College Roadrunners (31-1) of Denver, Colo, winner of the NCAA II South Central Region. The game between the Golden Tigers and the Roadrunners will tip off at 2:30 p.m. CT at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., on Wednesday evening, March 26. The Roadrunners are from the Rocky Mountain Conference.

Story by: Arnold L. Houston
COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION