DII Report: Bearcats, Bulldogs and Buffs - A look back at the DII year that was
DII Report: Bearcats, Bulldogs and Buffs – A look back at the DII year that was
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What a delightfully wild and weird sporting year the 2020-21 NCAA DII season has been. I remember coming in this year with so many question marks. The DII landscape was still a work in progress: there was limited football, but no official DII football championship. Only a handful of schools were going to start DII basketball in the fall – almost guinea pigs to see if the indoor sport could actually work.
But here we are. Exactly 40 DII Reports later … we ourselves have a season to remember. Kudos to everyone who made it work, including a special shout out to the DII SIDs who were incredibly thin, working in uncharted territory and somehow never missing a beat.
So, sit back and look back at this week’s DII report.
7 memorable moments of the DII 2020-21 sports season
Angelo State defeats West Texas A&M in only home football game
The Rams have been able to play DII football this season, but only one of those games was in front of his loyal Angelo State, albeit in a limited capacity. They delivered, defeating West Texas A&M 21-10 in the first DII football game played this season. It was the first DII game played since the world closed in March 2020.
Angelo State’s rushed attack was too much for the Buffs to handle. Nathaniel Omayebu, Carl Odom and Alfred Grear totaled 155 yards and three touchdowns.
This led to the very first spring season of DII football. While no official champion has been crowned, there have been several conference championships, including a memorable one in the SAC, where Tusculum – led by transfer from Valdosta State Rogan Wells – beat Lenoir-Rhyne 28-23.
Northwestern Missouri State Race for DII Men’s Basketball Title
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ble5YVARREY
The Bearcats completely dominated West Texas A&M 80-54 to win their second straight title and third in the past four seasons. But Northwest Missouri State was involved in three of the most memorable games of the playoffs… and it wasn’t always on the winning side.
- Washburn 69, Northwestern Missouri 68: Tyler Geiman of the Ichabods has been a thorn in the side of the Bearcats throughout the season. His spectacular 55-foot buzzer beater beat the Bearcats in the MIAA Championship game.
Washburn’s half court shot stuns Northwest Missouri state
- Northwestern Missouri 91, Northern State 86: It was arguably the best game of the entire NCAA tournament. The No.1 Wolves had an unforgettable performance from their elite big man Parker Fox (34 points, 12 rebounds), but it wasn’t enough to defeat Trevor Hudgins, who scored 27 of his 29 points in the second half. and in overtime.
- Northwestern Missouri 80, West Texas A&M 54: How can an unbalanced score be a memorable game? Because West Texas A&M was a ridiculously great team. The Buffs were making their third straight DII Men’s Elite Eight appearance and had two of the nation’s best players in Qua Grant and Joel Murray. But Ryan Hawkins came out supercharged and was too much to handle, scoring 31 points and shooting 18 rebounds.
MEN’S DII RANKING: The last Power 10 of the season
Dynasty Established: Lubbock Christian Wins DII Women’s Basketball Championship Again
Lubbock Christians wins DII Women’s Basketball Championship
It is getting too familiar. The Lady Chaps won their second straight title and their third since 2016. While that is impressive in itself, consider this: LCU has only been eligible for the DII tournament since 2016 after moving from the NAIA. It is truly a DII dynasty unlike any other before it.
WOMEN’S DII RANKING: LCU sits atop the last Power 10
And to add to their place in history, the Lady Chaps completed their second unbeaten race to the title during this span. Steve Gomez’s side won their first title behind a record 35-0 and this year’s title race ended in a perfect 23-0. While we haven’t looked at next year’s top 25, you can guess who will be number 1 this preseason.
Back to Top: West Texas A&M Wins Second DII Softball Title
To finish. We mentioned the Buffaloes a few times in this year-end review, but they were on the losing side. The Lady Buffs made sure they got one on the safe side, winning the DII Softball Championship. This is their second title since 2014.
It got a bit risky for the Lady Buffs. After being shut out 5-0 by upstart Biola in the Championship Series opener, West Texas A&M was down 1-0 in the winner’s Game 3 inning six. That was until Gabriella Valforte cleared the groundwork with a grand slam, propelling West Texas A&M to 4-1 victory. Not a bad way to end the season for a team ranked seventh in its conference preseason poll, right?
WINgate impresses on the road to Cary
Watch Wingates’ Michael Dansky take some spectacular dive catches
The DII Baseball Championship Finals had a field with an impressive history behind it. The Tampa Spartans have had the most titles since 2000, and center Missouri has the most DII baseball wins in the same period. None of this mattered to the Bulldogs, who went from the No.6 seed to national champions.
BULLDOGS AT THE TOP: Wingate is n ° 1 of the DII Power 10 final
What Wingate did was no easy task. After losing 6-2 to Angelo State, the Bulldogs have won five straight elimination games, each against a nationwide Top-15 program. They took an early 2-0 lead over the No.1 center Missouri in the final and made sure it counts. The Bulldogs were champions for the first time, marking the first time a SAC school had won a DII baseball championship.
How sweeping it is: Barry dominates DII tennis courts
What a year it has been for the Bucs tennis teams. The men went to Surprise, Ariz., And Alejandro Palacios sealed the DII men’s tennis championship for Barry, beating Columbus State’s Christian Garay in the No. 2 singles. It was the second straight men’s title and the fifth since 2010.
Barry’s women have finished four in a row, beating UIndy 4-0 on the Greyhounds’ first-ever trip to the DII women’s tennis final. With the win, the Buccaneers became just the second DII women’s tennis program to win four straight titles.
Barry wins the 2021 DII Women’s Tennis Championship
Let’s not forget Queens (NC). The Royals were once again majestic in swimming and diving. The men won their sixth consecutive national championship while the women also won the sixth consecutive place.
🎩 Hats off to all our champions 🎩
Some were familiar, others were brand new. The only thing they all had in common was that they got to call themselves national champions.
| sport | Champion |
|---|---|
| Men’s basketball | Northwestern Missouri State |
| Women’s basketball | Christian Lubbock |
| Men’s swimming and diving | Queens (NC) |
| Women’s swimming and diving | Queens (NC) |
| Men’s indoor athletics | Ashland |
| Women’s indoor athletics | State of the Great Valley |
| Catch | State of Saint-Cloud |
| Men’s golf | Arkansas Technology |
| Women’s golf | DBU |
| Men’s tennis | Barry |
| female tennis | Barry |
| Lacrosse for men | The Moyne |
| Women’s lacrosse | Lime tree |
| Rowing | Central Oklahoma |
| soft ball | West Texas A&M |
| Outdoor athletics men | State of the Great Valley |
| Female outdoor athletics | Azusa Pacific |
| Baseball | Wingate |
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