Warriors Sneak Past Trojans to Move to Semifinals

The defending National Champion Nelson AIC Warriors' Men's Basketball team opened the 2026 NCCAA Division I National Championship Tournament with a thrilling, hard-fought 81-79 victory over the #2 seed Hannibal-LaGrange University Trojans at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO.

The game started with a series of runs that set the tone for an exciting, yet ultimately stressful, back-and-forth battle. Nelson jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead, but Hannibal answered with a 7-0 spurt to take their first advantage. From there, the Trojans used an 18-9 run, led by freshman phenom Davaughn Hueitt's 8 points during that stretch, and sharp outside shooting to build a 25-17 lead, their largest of the game, and a wave of confidence.

However, the Warriors refused to let the deficit grow. Behind Orlando Gonzales' hot hand, Nelson ripped off a 10-2 run over the next 3:28 to reclaim the lead. The teams traded blows for the final minutes of the half, with Nelson taking a three-point edge at 39-36 with 1:03 left and a chance to extend it. But a lost possession leading to a Trojans layup, then a missed Terrin Ross jumper, and a late foul by Chase Pavey (leading to two made free throws) allowed Hannibal to score four straight and take a slim 40-39 lead into halftime.

Gonzales was masterful in the first half, scoring 18 points to lead all scorers. The Warriors played somewhat short-handed late in the period after head coach Kole Ebert was forced to sit Conference MVP Zoe Holman following his third personal foul (two on back-to-back offensive fouls).

Undeterred by the halftime deficit and foul trouble, the Warriors broke the game wide-open in the second stanza. Jermaine Earnest, held scoreless in the first half, erupted for 10 of Nelson's first 28 points of the period, fueling a patented 24-12 run that turned a one-point deficit into an 11-point lead at 67-56. Despite the outpouring of Warriors Spirit over that run, Hannibal refused to fold, cutting the margin back to four on several occasions before inching within one possession at 78-75 with 1:14 remaining.

From there, the final 60 seconds were pure drama. After a Gonzales turnover and a Ross foul (his fifth and final), the Trojans had a chance to cut the lead to one at the line – but Josh Talton missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Earnest grabbed the rebound. With 39 seconds left and the chance to extend the lead, Holman missed a jumper, and Hueitt secured the board. After a timeout, Hannibal set up their final play. Under duress, Kell Estep missed a three, Hueitt contested the rebound, and swinging the ball around to find one last open look, an Ian McDonald three-point attempt once again rimmed out. This time Holman grabbed the board, was fouled intentionally, and calmly sank two free throws to ice the game at 81-79 as the final desperate Trojans shot fluttered off the rim.

"Breathing now..." commented Kevin Miller, Vice President for Student Development, and noted superfan. "Dang. The Last five-minutes were nerve wracking. But it was like magic."

Shooting for both teams was critical as Hannibal stayed competitive in the first half with solid three-point shooting (38.5%), but went cold from deep in the second (30.8%). On the Nelson end, however, their non-reliance on the outside shot and consistent pressure on the Trojans' interior defense allowed the Warriors to reach the free throw line seven more times than the Trojans, nailing 15 of 24.

On the boards, Nelson was out-rebounded for much of the game but flipped the script late, despite playing smaller lineups, finishing with a 37-34 advantage on the glass to end possessions and create second-chance opportunities.

Orlando Gonzales led the Warriors in scoring with 24 points as well as a game-high 2 assists. His three 3-pointers all came in the first half, each seemingly coming in crucial moments in which the bucket ended a Trojan run, and kept the score within reach. Zoe Holman overcame his early foul trouble to score 21 points and grab 5 rebounds. His two clutch free throws in the end were ultimately the difference. Don't call him silent Cal Windley was anything but silent, scoring 17 points while just missing out on a double-double with 8 rebounds. Terrin Ross struggled with fouls, but was a beast on the boards, snagging 9 critical rebounds, a game-high. His 4 points inch him closer to 1,000 for his college career, now only 13 points away. Wyatt MacKay was quieter from the field than fans have grown to expect, too scoring just 4 points, but his efforts on the boards too were vitally important to the Nelson victory, grabbing 7.

The Trojans received balanced scoring from three double-figure starters, but only one point from their bench. Ian McDonald led all scorers were 25 points, while Kell Estep and Davaughn Hueitt each poured in 16. Braylon Diggs just missed out on a double-double, finishing with 8 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Warriors, now winners of four-straight National Tournament games dating back to last season, move on to the Semifinals where they will take on #3-seed Lancaster Bible College (who defeated #6-seed Clinton College at the buzzer in the day's first game), on Thursday, March 19, at 1:30pm AZ.