MARYVILLE, Mo.—After a two-year hiatus atop the Great American Conference, Southern Nazarene reclaimed the throne in the 2022-23 season, rolling to a regular season championship with a 21-1 conference record.
The 21-1 mark matched the 2017-18 SNU squad for the best record in GAC history. SNU won the league by six games, setting a GAC record for the largest gap between first and second place in the conference.
The payoff for the Crimson Storm's (25-4) outstanding season is the fourth NCAA tournament berth in program history. SNU received the No. 5 seed in the always tough Central Region and will take on No. 4 seed MSU-Moorhead at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday in Maryville, Mo.
Maryville has become a familiar place for Southern Nazarene, as all four of the Storm's regional appearances have taken place there, the home of Northwest Missouri State. Of course, the 2020 appearance was canceled due to COVID, but the Crimson Storm's place in the region that year is not up for debate.
SNU was also the No. 5 seed in 2019, defeating St. Cloud State in the first round before falling to Northwest Missouri State in the second round. The Bearcats went on to win the national championship and have won the past three championships, and four of the last five.
The Crimson Storm hang their hat on defense this year, holding opponents to just 57.4 points per game which ranks third in the nation. Opponents also shoot just under 41 percent from the field against SNU, 22nd in the nation. That defensive effort has led SNU to outscore opponents by 14 points per game this season, which is the 10th-best average margin of victory in the nation.
SNU swept through all but one of the GAC awards this season, as
Tyler McGhie received Player of the Year and unanimous first-team honors.
Javon Jackson was named Freshman of the Year and also earned a first-team nod.
Nick Davis earned Defensive Player of the Year and second-team honors. Coach
Adam Bohac rounded out the accolades with his fourth Coach of the Year honor.
The Dragons of MSU-Moorhead received the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament courtesy of their triumph in the NSIC Tournament. The Dragons boast some good size across their starting lineup, with four of five starters standing 6-foot-4 or taller. MSUM used that size to great effect this season, ranking second in the NSIC in rebounding at just under 37 per game.
The area that stands out the most for the Dragons is how they take care of the basketball. Moorhead is first in the nation in turnovers per game, averaging an impressive 8.2 giveaways per game. Forcing MSUM into mistakes will be key for the Crimson Storm defense.
Sophomore Jacob Beeninga leads the Dragons in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game and has knocked down 91 3-pointers this year, 13th in the nation. Junior Dane Zimmer leads the team inside, averaging just under nine rebounds per game, three of those on the offensive glass, along with 32 blocks this season.
While this is the fourth NCAA tournament berth for SNU in six years, only one player on the SNU roster was present for the Crimson Storm's last actual NCAA tournament game. Senior
Mo Wilson II was a true freshman back in 2019 when SNU went to the second round in Maryville.
It's been a great season for SNU, and the Crimson Storm will look to build on their success this year on Saturday against the Dragons. Should the Crimson Storm win, they'll face the winner of Northwest Missouri St. and fellow GAC member Southern Arkansas, which won the GAC Tournament to earn the No. 8 seed in the tournament.
You can watch the Crimson Storm and the Dragons on the MIAA Network. Stay plugged in to SNU social media outlets to find out where you can hear the SNU call of the game.
