DETROIT — LaVone Holland scored 20 points and Drew McDonald had 14 points and 12 rebounds to help Northern Kentucky hold off Milwaukee for a 59-53 win Tuesday night in the Horizon League final, putting the school in the NCAA Tournament in its first season of eligibility.
The fourth-seeded Norse (24-10) are in their fifth season of Division I basketball, but didn’t have a shot to earn a spot in college basketball’s showcase until this year.
Tenth-seeded Milwaukee (11-24) was a win away from having the most losses in the history of the NCAA Tournament, which has had three 20-loss teams: Cal Poly (2014), Liberty (2013) and Coppin State (2008).
Brock Stull scored 19 points and Brett Prahl had 12 for the Panthers, who won nine in a row, including three in the tournament, before their run ended against Northern Kentucky.
The Norse were in control for much of the game, which had only one tie and one lead change, but they couldn’t pull away from the pesky Panthers.
Milwaukee pulled within three points with 1:11 left and again with 32 seconds to go, but McDonald made a jumper and Holland made a free throw on the ensuing possessions to keep a relatively comfortable cushion.
An improbable run ended in part because the Panthers simply struggled to make shots. Milwaukee made just one-third of its shots in the second half and shot 36 percent overall.
By making the NCAA Tournament, the Norse have made this a special season and any success they have will be a bonus for the program.
Prahl said the team’s three wins in the Horizon Tournament give the team confidence and the loss will serve as motivation to work harder during the offseason.
The Norse will have a chance to celebrate for the rest of the week before finding out Sunday where they’re seeded in the NCAA Tournament, where they will likely be a low seed and a big underdog.
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