BIG RAPIDS — Two basketball teams from Ferris State University are in the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen after the men’s team after the men’s team pulled off the thrilling comeback to knock out the top seed University of Indianapolis in overtime on Sunday.
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The women’s team, which beat defending nation champion Ashland on Saturday, will play rival Grand Valley State University on Monday in Allendale. The first 250 Ferris State students will be admitted to the game for free with their student ID.
The men’s team faces Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference counterpart Lake Superior State at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Indianapolis. The winner of Tuesday’s game claims both the Midwest Regional Championship and earns a berth into the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
On Sunday, the Bulldogs trailed by as many as 13 points with 10:48 to play in the game after falling behind by nine at halftime. The team mounted a late charge and ultimately outscored the Greyhounds 39-30 in the final 20 minutes of regulation to tie the game up.
In overtime, the Bulldogs made enough timely shots and hit several critical free throws to knock out the regional host and move into the regional final for the first time since claiming the school’s first NCAA Division II National Championship in 2018. Ferris State reached the regional semifinals each of the past two years before bowing out.
The Bulldogs were led by the combination of senior guard Ben Davidson and junior guard Ethan Erickson, who both knocked down critical shots down the stretch and in overtime. Davidson scored a team-high 25 points while Erickson added 22 points. FSU also got 15 points from senior DeSean Munson on the inside along with 11 points by senior guard Amari Lee.
Indianapolis was led by Jarvis Walker with 28 points and the duo of Kendrick Tchoua and David Ejah, who both totaled 16 points. Jesse Bingham added 14 points as Indianapolis closed the year with a 23-9 overall mark.
The game featured seven lead changes and was tied eight times, but Ferris State only led for 3:52 overall with the bulk coming in overtime.
The Bulldogs improved to 27-7 overall with the win, which was Ferris State’s eighth in a row this season.
Ferris State, which is midst its 17th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance, has reached the regional final for the third time under head coach Andy Bronkema.
Tuesday’s championship game will be carried live by Sunny 97.3 FM and the Bulldog Sports Network with online coverage available at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. A live pay-per-view video webcast will also be offered at NCAA.com.
The women ‘s team advanced to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship game for the second time in university history. The game will be broadcast in on WXSP-TV with a 7:05 p.m. tipoff.
The Bulldogs knocked off defending national champion Ashland by a 64-59 score in semifinal-round play on Saturday in Allendale.
