| Tyler Nicolai rides his teammates' shoulders after
a 28-point performance in St. Thomas' 72-56 win at Augustana. Photo by Pat Coleman, D3sports.com |
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| Wooster remained on schedule with a Final Four in
2011 to follow the ones in 2003 and 2007. Wooster athletics photo |
Three men's games came down to the final minute, the women's defending champion remained alive and the most prolific scorer currently playing Division III women's basketball advanced as well.
- Saturday's men's scores
- Updated men's bracket
- Saturday's women's scores
- Saturday's women's wrapup
- Updated women's bracket
St. Thomas finished its run to the Final Four, knocking off the CCIW champion a night after defeating the national champion as Tyler Nicolai scored 28 points in the Tommies' 72-56 win against Augustana. Williams defeated Amherst 77-71, Middlebury defeated St. Mary's 65-50 and Wooster knocked off No. 1 Whitworth 76-66.
For the Tommies, it's the first trip to Salem and the program's first Final Four since 1994. Middlebury is in the Final Four for the first time ever, while Williams is in the Final Four for the second year in a row and Wooster makes its third trip in nine seasons.
Ian Franks scored 19 and Justin Hallowell added 16 as Wooster knocked off top-ranked Whitworth 76-66. Mike Taylor scored 25, including a 3-pointer to cut Wooster's lead to five in the final minute, but it wasn't enough as the west coast's Final Four drought continues. Franks hit a layup to cap an 11-2 run that put Wooster up by seven and the Scots held the Pirates at bay from there.
Amherst held Troy Whittington in check but it wasn't enough as Williams defeated its archrival 77-71 to return to the Final Four for a second year in a row. Nate Robertson shot 7-for-11 from the floor en route to 22 points in the win. Star freshman Aaron Toomey was held to eight in 26 minutes in the loss.
Nicolai scored 22 of his season-high 28 points in the second half for the Tommies, who reached the Final Four for the first time since 1994. It was the first time in six tries that St. Thomas won an NCAA Tournament game on the opponent's home floor. Nicolai was 6-for-11 from 3-point range and the Tommies held Augustana to 5-for-23 shooting from the floor in the second half.
Middlebury shot 62.5 percent from the floor in the second half and took control of the game with a 13-2 run shortly after halftime to defeat St. Mary's and put itself in the Final Four for the first time.