Bulldogs knock off Trailblazers, 71-66; advance to NJCAA Round Two

HUTCHINSON, Kansas (via HolmesAthletics.com) --- The No. 18-seeded Holmes Community College Bulldogs knocked off the defending NJCAA national champion and No. 15-seeded Vincennes University Trailblazers in the first round of the NJCAA National Tournament here today, 71-66.

Holmes advances to play Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The game can be watched at njcaa.org/network. Vincennes won the last NJCAA championship in 2019. The 2020 tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19.

A Brandon Weatherspoon three-pointer gave the Bulldogs an early 3-0 lead. Two Tyler Talley free throws put the Bulldogs up 5-3 before Kaleb Higgins increased the lead to 7-3 with 17:26 left in the first half. A Darrius Clark jumper from the baseline increased the lead to 9-3 with 15:43 to play in the half. Vincennes took a 10-9 lead with 12:53 to play in the half.

The Bulldogs retook the lead at 11-10 with 12:30 play on a bucket from Olanrewaju Olayinka. An Asa William three-pointer increased the lead to 14-10 with 11:37 to play in the half before a layup from Weatherspoon stretched it to eight at 20-12 with 7:07 to play before Vincennes pulled to 20-15 with 6:51 left.

Holmes' lead stretched to eight with 5:18 left when Talley hit a three-pointer to make the score 25-17. The lead remained eight with 3:32 when Ahmad Anthony made a layup making the score 30-22. Weatherspoon's three made it a nine-point lead with 2:54 left at 33-24. An Anthony tip-in with 40 seconds left gave Holmes a 37-31 lead at halftime.

The Bulldogs held a 38-31 lead with 19:35 left when Clark made one of two free throws. Vincennes hit a three with 16:16 left to tie the game at 38 before Olayinka gave the lead right back at 40-38 to the Bulldogs with 15:56 left in the game.

Vincennes hit a three-pointer with 15:06 to take the 41-40 lead. They held the lead until the 9:55 mark when Weatherspoon scored on a layup to give Holmes the 54-53 lead before Vincennes retook the lead seconds later. Weatherspoon then put the Bulldogs back on top at 59-58 with 6:08 left with a three. With the game tied at 59, Anthony tipped another basket in giving Holmes the 61-59 lead. Vincennes pulled to within one at 67-66 with 23 seconds left. Kaleb Higgins hit four big free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

Weatherspoon finished with 22 points including four three-pointers while Ahmad Anthony had 12. Anthony had five rebounds for the Bulldogs.

As a team, the Bulldogs shot 44.1 percent from the floor (26-of-59), 42.9 percent from the three-point line (9-of-21) and 71.4 percent from the free throw line (10-of-14). The Trailblazers finished the game shooting 44.6 percent from the field, 29.2 percent from the three-point line and 69.2 percent from the free throw line.

Prior the game Monday, Head Coach Jason Flanigan received the District 15 Coach of the Year Award for the Region 23 Championship the Bulldogs won at Mississippi College over Northeast Mississippi Community College recently.