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BY: Stephen T.
Jack gets 2
Bracket
Only two schools had ever done what UW-Stevens Point did this evening, as the Pointers and coach Jack Bennett successfully defended their 2004 title, defeating Rochester 73-49.
Jon Krull scored a game-high 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting. UW-Stevens Point made 11 of its first 13 shots in the second half to extend a 28-25 lead and run away with it.
Bennett, who told the media he has been contemplating retirement, joined an elite group of coaches with his second consecutive title and won his 200th career game in the process.
"He is proably the greatest motivator I have ever been around," UW-Stevens Point guard Nick Bennett said after the postgame news conference. "If that's what he wants to do,
if that's what he thinks the Lord is pushing him to do, I'll support him 100%. If he wants to move on, maybe to a different job, I'll support him 100%. If he wants to stay here,
I'll be behind him. ... If he wants to go out on top, I can't blame the guy."
UW-Platteville was the last team to defend its national championship, winning in 1998 and 1999.
All-America guard Nick Bennett added 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting, 4-for-6 from three-point range, all in the second half. Freshman Jon Onyiruka led Rochester with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Division 3 Basketball
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Last year in the 2003-04 season Jason Kalsow hit a fallaway
13-footer from the right elbow with 0.2
seconds remaining to give UW-Stevens Point the win in the men's national championship game,
knocking off defending champion Williams 84-82.
It was easily the best finish to a title game since UW-Platteville and Hampden-Sydney went to two overtimes in 1999.
Williams led 79-78 with 3:09 left when a block by Nick Bennett and an eventual Tamaris Relerford steal led to a Bennett jumper with 2:38 left.
Following a 30-second timeout, Chuck Abba nailed a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Ephs a two-point lead. The Ephs would not score again.
Eighteen seconds later, Kalsow drove to the hoop and scored to tie the game with 1:17 to play.
Williams took a timeout with 52 seconds remaining and Tucker Kain, who had hit six of 12 attempts from beyond the arc, missed his final try. Bennett finished with a game-high 30
Pointer Mens Basketball
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