Washington University cut the nets down in Salem, Va., as the Bears defeated Amherst 90-68 in the national championship game. For the second consecutive year, the defending national champion returned to the title game but could not repeat. Photo gallery and final bracket.

Troy Ruths, the D3hoops.com Player of the Year, earned the title with a 33-point performance, shooting 9-for-13 from the floor and 15-for-17 from the line. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four as well. The full All-American team. Scroll down for coverage of the women's championship, which Howard Payne won by beating Messiah 68-54.

"I think in the end, we were just taking what they were giving us," said Ruths.

&&b-boxr&&"Throughout the regular season, I saw a lot of things. I saw a lot of double teams, some triple teams -- and these last two games, they decided to play me straight up. And that's what I was praying for. I just took advantage of that.”

And as Evans Clinchy writes, it was the end to an incredible weekend for Ruths. We also wrote courtside from Salem.

Ruths is joined by teammate Aaron Thompson, Andrew Olson of Amherst, Derek Van Solkema of Hope and John Noonan of Ursinus on the All-Tournament team. Hope defeated Ursinus in the third-place game.