×

Ferris State wins Div. II national championship

Hankins leads Bulldogs with 19 points over Northern State

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Zach Hankins led Ferris State to its first NCAA Division II national championship in any sport Saturday, scoring 19 points in the Bulldogs’ 71-69 victory over Northern State.

The Bulldogs (38-1) won their final 26 games of the season and set a school-record for wins in a season.

Darin Peterka’s basket with 4:27 to play gave the Wolves their first lead of the second half at 65-64. Carter Evans hit a jumper and his two-handed alley-oop dunk from Peterka gave them a three-point lead with about three minutes left.

Peter Firlik hit two free throws and Hankins made a layup to give the Bulldogs a 70-69 lead with 90 seconds left and Markese Mayfield’s free throws with 10 seconds remaining capped the scoring. Northern State committed three turnovers and went 0 for 2 from the field — including a clean look from 3-point range by Peterka with two seconds left — in the final three minutes.

Firlik, who finished with 12 points, and Mayfield combined to score 19 of their 23 points in the second half.

Evans led the Wolves (36-4) with 20 points on 10 of 14 shooting. Peterka added 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals, Logan Doyle also scored 14 points, and Ian had 12s.

After Evans scored six points during a 9-2 opening run and Smith’s layup made it 29-23 with eight minutes left in the half, Ferris State scored 16 of the final 24 first-half points to take a 39-37 lead into the break. The Wolves made just three of their final 12 shots — while Ferris State was 7 of 9 shooting — to close the first.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today