Minneapolis, MN – Play opened at the 2025 NCCAA DII Men’s Basketball National Championship, with the four top seeds #1 North Central University, #2 Spurgeon College, #3 Manhattan Christian College, and #4 Crown College all surviving tough tests and punching their tickets to tomorrow’s semifinals.
 
#2 Spurgeon College 99, #7 Bob Jones University 97
 
Second-seeded Spurgeon College opened the day with a gritty 99-97 win over #7 Bob Jones University.

• The Knights opened the game on an 11-2 run, thanks to a pair of triples by Raven Ortiz.
• After getting behind by as much as 13 in the opening stanza, a 15-2 run by Bob Jones put the Bruins ahead 56-50 at the break.
• Bob Jones pulled ahead 62-52 early in the second half, but Spurgeon answered with a run of their own to go on top 71-70.
• A Drew Middleton three-pointer with 3:43 left put the Knights ahead 93-85, and despite a late charge from the Bruins, Spurgeon held on for the 99-97 victory.
• Jack Chamberlin scored 25 points and hauled down 13 boards in the win, with 21 of those points coming in the first half. Shad Vander Hart led Bob Jones with 22 points and had six steals.

#3 Manhattan Christian College 72, #6 Campbellsville University Harrodsburg 69
 
In a back-and-forth affair, it was #3 Manhattan Christian College advancing to the semifinals with a 72-69 win over #6 Campbellsville University Harrodsburg.

• Both teams traded the lead early, with nine ties and 12 lead changes in the first half, but a quick 8-0 spurt from Campbellsville Harrodsburg put the Pioneers on top 38-33, thanks to a three from Elijah Frye.
• Manhattan Christian ended the half tying the contest at 38 points apiece, after Xavier Lucas was fouled on a desperation three-pointer.
• The two teams battled in the beginning of the second half, but a layup and made free throw by Davis Rokey put the Thunder ahead 52-51 with 9:43 left in the game.
• Campbellsville Harrodsburg answered with a quick 8-0 run, as a block from Evan Frederick led to a score by Jamarion Gaines to put the Pioneers ahead 59-54 with 7:15 left in the game. The Thunder answered with a three from Lucas to tie the contest at 59 apiece with 6:01 remaining.
• The two squads stayed within a few points of each other, before a bucket by Jaxon Hurla with 58 seconds left put Manhattan Christian on top, and a shot at the buzzer by the Pioneers fell wide, as the Thunder held on for the 72-69 victory.
• Lucas paced the Thunder with 20 points and nine rebounds. Elijah Frye led the Pioneers with 15 points and added four steals.

 
#1 North Central University 105, #8 Champion Christian College 66
 
Top-seeded North Central University weathered an early run from #8 Champion Christian College and rolled to a 101-66 victory over the Tigers.

• Champion Christian opened the contest on an 11-0 run and led by as many as 21-5 in the first half, punctuated by a pair of layups from KJ Younge.
• North Central answered with a run of their own, and a pair of threes by Carrington McNeal put the Rams on top 43-38 at the halftime break.
• NCU continued to pour it on, outscoring Champion Christian 62-30 in the second half while shooting a blistering 56.3% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc in the second half, knocking off the Tigers 101-66.
• The McNeal brothers combined for 42 points, with Carrington McNeal scoring 25 points while hauling down nine rebounds and handing out five assists. Carmello McNeal scored 17 points and had six rebounds and three steals.
• Adrian Brown led Champion Christian with 17 points and had three steals.

 
#4 Crown College 74, #5 Grace Christian University 69
 
Despite being down by as many as 16 points, #4 Crown College rallied to knock off #5 Grace Christian University 74-69 to close out day one of the 2025 NCCAA DII Men’s Basketball National Championship.

• Grace Christian opened the contest on fire, draining their first five shots from three to jump out to a 21-9 advantage in the first half. 
• Crown cut into the deficit thanks to a pair of buckets from Anthony Knight and Tyrus Buckner, but a last second layup from Quay Humphries put the Tigers ahead 39-33 at the break.
• The Tigers came out firing in the second half, as a pair of threes from Brayden Gable and Graydon Hutchinson put Grace Christian ahead 59-51. The Polars responded with suffocating defense, and a driving layup from Anthony Knight gave Crown their first lead, going ahead 63-62 with under three minutes left.
• Grace Christian stayed within striking distance, but a pair of shots from Micah Ladd kept Crown ahead, and the Polars completed the comeback with a 74-69 win.
• Tyrus Buckner led Crown with 24 points and had seven rebounds, while Carter Behne had 11 points and nine boards.

 
Action will continue tomorrow with a pair of consolation games at 12:30 p.m. CT and 2:45 p.m. CT. Those will be followed with the two semifinal matches at 5:00 p.m. CT and 7:15 p.m. CT. Track the action by visiting the Division II Men's Basketball National Championship page here. 

About the NCCAA
Established in 1968, the National Christian College Athletic Association uses intercollegiate athletics to further the Great Commission and is committed to equipping student-athletes and coaches to make a positive impact for Christ. The NCCAA currently holds 23 national championship events, along with two national invitationals for 92 member schools across 28 states and two Canadian provinces. For more information on the NCCAA, visit our website, thenccaa.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram at @thenccaa.