On to Nationals!, Keelhauler Men Win
The No. 1-seeded Cal Maritime men's basketball team blew out No. 2 Holy Names 89-69 to win the conference tournament and punch their ticket to the NAIA Division II playoff tournament in Point Lookout, Mo., for the first time in school history.
"These guys deserve it," Cal Maritime coach Bryan Rooney said. "We needed to put ourselves in a situation where we deserve how this feels and we did."
The Keelhaulers (21-9, 14-0) start the first round of the NAIA tournament on March 7.
Hogan High graduate Josh Greenwell finished with a game-high 22 points. Keven Campbell finished with 15 points and Isaiah Moore added 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks for the Keelhaulers.
Greenwell broke open what was a tight game in the first half.
The Keelhaulers were up 33-30 coming out of the break when he scored nine of Cal Maritime's next 11 points. Greenwell capped an 11-4 run with a 3-pointer then added a three-point play to give the Keelhaulers a 10-point lead.
Holy Names (15-16, 7-6) would not go away though as it pulled to within four points on an Ian Collins' layup. Isaiah Moore would stem the tide by converting a driving layup while getting fouled.
He made the free throw to make it 49-42
The Keelhaulers took their largest lead of the night when a double technical on Holy Names and a technical foul on coach Omar Sanchez was tacked onto the shooting foul on Campbell netted Cal
Maritime six foul shots.
Howie Manzo made three and Campbell made both of his to push the lead to14 points.
"We got to the line tonight but we had to make them," Rooney said. "Our guys acted like this was their moment and they handled it like champions. I am very proud of this group. They have embodied that idea that 'we' is much stronger than 'me'"
Cal Maritime lived at the line throughout the entire game, making 42 of 52 foul shots.
Cal Maritime and Holy Names have a history that started in the finals of last year's conference tournament. Holy Names knocked out the Keelhaulers in the finals last year.