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Free throws and fouls helped decide things at the end. Some questionable foul calls led to Trine shooting 12 free throws over the last two minutes of Saturday’s NCAA D3 Championship. 

The Thunder hit 11 of those, which helped them beat Hampden-Sydney 69-61 in front of just over 4,500, a number the NCAA are calling the biggest D3 title game crowd on record. 

Hampden-Sydney started off hot and led 25-23 at the break, but both teams more than made up for the scoring drought in the second half. Combined, the two teams scored 82 points after halftime. No. 13 Trine pulled ahead with a 13-3 run to start the second half and the Tigers weren’t able to fully catch up after that. Hampden-Sydney did cut the deficit to three at 50-47 with 4:21 left, but couldn’t get any closer. 

Stats from NCAA D3 Championship

Senior captain Adam Brazil led Hampden-Sydney with a game-high 23 points. He was 5-of-11 on three-pointers and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. He earned a spot on the All-Tournament team as a result. Fellow seniors Davidson Hubbard and Josiah Hardy, meanwhile, each finished with 9 points. Hubbard also had 7 rebounds on the day. Both Ryan Clements and Shane Fernald added 8 points. 

Trine’s senior guard Cortez Garland earned the Tournament MVP award after scoring 22 points on Saturday. Trine shot 41% from the field, while Hampden-Sydney hit 32% of their shots. 

Wrapping up a dream season 

This marks the second time Hampden-Sydney has been to the NCAA Championship. The last time was in 1999, where they finished as runner-ups. Saturday’s loss wraps up the Tigers’ season at 31-3, with this team achieving several school records in the process. The team set a new school record for season wins with 31 and finished their first 30-win season in school history. This also marks only their sixth season with 25 or more wins and the 17th season with 20 or more. 

Welcoming the team back

There will be a community celebration later tonight, as the team returns from Fort Wayne. It’ll be held on Sunday, March 17 at 8 p.m. in Kirby Field House.