Congrats U of Findlay basketball team

FindlayFalcon · Post by **FindlayFalcon** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:19 pm

U of F men's basketball team went undefeated and won the NCAA Division II basketball title. A real nail biter which went to overtime.

NY-BG-FAN · Post by **NY-BG-FAN** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:22 pm

What an accomplishment, a 36-0 season! Congrats to Findlay, very happy for them. Hitting a fadeaway NBA length 3-pointer to win the National Championship? Wow, you couldn't write that stuff, what a memory for them. It was a great finish to watch.

After Findlay being good for all these years, it's great to see Ron Niekamp finally break through and win the whole thing. After doing some research I came across an interesting fact I'm pretty sure is correct: the last Ohio school to win the DII National Title was Wright State in 1983.

h2oville rocket · Post by **h2oville rocket** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:52 pm

They had at least two OTs in the Tournament, right? Listened to the first one on the radio- came across it by accident and Findaly was down most of the time. I didn't realize they were undefeated at that point. Radio guys were pretty blase about being behind late.

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 11:32 pm

Actually, this was the third OT game in their last four! The Regional championship at Findlay was the first of that stretch. UF was behind late and I think Bostic nailed a three to tie with like 15 seconds to go. I too caught some of that one on the radio and the announcers seemed to be taking it real well that the Oilers undefeated season looked like it was coming to an end.

Then the first game of the Elite 8 was against another undefeated team and that one went into OT. And a two point win in the semifinal, then an OT in the championship. Has a team ever scored only 12 points in the second half and won the game before?

It just so happened that my daughter was playing volleyball down at Croy Gymnasium last Sunday. She was in between games so we decided to walk outside. Happened to be the same time the team was starting to show up to board the bus to head for Massuchusetts. So that is my little connection to the team, getting to see them off for the final championship run. Congratulations to the Oilers.

goofyeuph · Post by **goofyeuph** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:17 am

My brother is on the swim team at Findlay. Him about 6 of his teammates made the trip. Havn't had a chance to talk to him too much, but as I understand it the place soaring. Watching the game, the jump shot that won it was the kids first points of the game. Talk about getting them when they count! Congrats to that team in orange down the street!!

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 7:36 am

goofyeuph wrote: the jump shot that won it was the kids first points of the game. Talk about getting them when they count!

Not quite correct. That was his first field goal of the game. Earlier in the OT, he made the front end of a one and one then missed the second. So really, if he makes both those free throws, there is no need for the buzzer-beating heroics.

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:20 pm

Playing them at AA next year would be a nice game.

NY-BG-FAN · Post by **NY-BG-FAN** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:42 pm

NWLB wrote:Playing them at AA next year would be a nice game.

What's crazy is, the NCAA Selection Committee doesn't take into account regular season games against teams not in Division I. Ironic, since if we played Findlay it would probably be a tougher game than ones against the worst teams in the MAC, and maybe a few of our non-conference games.

Findlay played an exhibition game at Xavier to begin this season, and lost by only three, 79-76. It would be the only game they lost in '09, winning the next 36 in a row. Granted it was just an exhibition, but I have to think if Findlay could push a team that good that far, they'd be more than capable of competing in the MAC, Horizon, Summit etc. at the DI level. They're a great basketball program.

moneymaker02 · Post by **moneymaker02** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:46 pm

correct me if im wrong, but didnt findlay beat ohio state last year or something like that?

bgsukid · Post by **bgsukid** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:13 pm

moneymaker02 wrote:correct me if im wrong, but didnt findlay beat ohio state last year or something like that?

Yeah, beat them by 2 in an exhibition game in '07.

h2oville rocket · Post by **h2oville rocket** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:59 am

bgsukid wrote:
moneymaker02 wrote:correct me if im wrong, but didnt findlay beat ohio state last year or something like that?
Yeah, beat them by 2 in an exhibition game in '07.

Which tells you all you need to know about close exhibition games. The small schools play to win, the big ones play to try out combinations and different sets. Although as recently as 1991, Findlay thumped a MAC team on the MAC team's home floor.

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:19 am

h2oville rocket wrote:
bgsukid wrote:
moneymaker02 wrote:correct me if im wrong, but didnt findlay beat ohio state last year or something like that?
Yeah, beat them by 2 in an exhibition game in '07.
Which tells you all you need to know about close exhibition games. The small schools play to win, the big ones play to try out combinations and different sets. Although as recently as 1991, Findlay thumped a MAC team on the MAC team's home floor.

Congrats to Findlay!! 36-0 at any level in any sport is unreal.

And H2O, how many games did the Rockette men win this year? And what team won the MAC regular season title this season? Wonder if you could help me with that info as well as your knowledge of BG Hoops thru the years.

I would not call a 79-68 loss a "thumping"...

bgsukid · Post by **bgsukid** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:31 pm

Falconfreak90 wrote:I would not call a 79-68 loss a "thumping"...

If that loss is at home to a D-II school I would...

Falcon137 · Post by **Falcon137** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:55 pm

What makes Findlay's story so great is that they did it with no JUCOs or D1 transfers. That is something that is almost unheard of in D2 bball.