BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The Paine College men might have played their final game of the season Saturday.Denzel Dillingham scored 27 points, but the Lions struggled all day in a 79-70 loss to Lane in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference semifinals.
Paine (23-6), which won the regular season title for the first time in 21 seasons, watched its winning streak end at nine games. Despite posting their best record since the 1993-94 season, the Lions might not make the NCAA Division II Tournament as an at-large team. The top eight teams from the South Region will advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament when the selections are announced Sunday night, and Paine – despite its accomplishments – was only ranked No. 10 in the latest poll.
“That game right there doesn’t justify this team,” Lions coach Jimmy Link said. “If we could get two SIAC teams in the regional, that’d be beautiful.
“We accomplished stuff most guys dream of doing, going 23-6. I’m really proud of them. They’re the greatest group of guys I’ve been around. As a coach, that’s awesome.”
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