March Madness unfolded at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Saturday afternoon, as the Trinity College Bantams competed against New York University at the NCAA Division III National Championship.
The number four-ranked Bantams, underdogs against the top-seeded Violets, pulled off a stunner, a 64-60 victory that delivered Trinity its first-ever NCAA Division III National Championship. And boy, did they earn it.
Down 60-59 with ten ticks left on the clock, Trinity's title hopes were hanging by a thread. Will Dorion's three-point attempt? Clanked. But then, absolute chaos. Trevor McDonald battled on the glass, a putback attempt? No good. But Drew Lazarre, showing the heart of a champion, grabbed another offensive board and found Henry Vetter at the top of the key. And Vetter? Ice in his veins. Game-winning three. Ballgame. Championship. Bantams.
Jarrel Okorougo led the charge for Trinity, dropping a game-high 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Vetter finished with 14, while Dorion and Lazarre chipped in with 10 apiece. Lazarre also snagged a double-double, his sixth of the season, with 10 boards.
NYU, meanwhile, got 15 points off the bench from Hampton Sanders, while Zay Freeney added 14. Tristan How recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The game was a back-and-forth slugfest. Trinity jumped out to an early lead, but NYU battled back, taking a 30-27 advantage into halftime. The Bantams came out firing in the second half, using a 10-3 run to grab a 37-33 lead.
With six minutes left, it was all knotted up at 48. Then NYU made a run, a 7-2 spurt to take a 55-50 lead. But Trinity, showing the grit that defined their season, refused to fold. Vetter's triple and Dorion's free throws cut the lead to 57-55, setting up the dramatic finish.
Trinity dominated the glass, 40-32, and controlled the paint, 32-26. But NYU's bench outscored Trinity's, 21-8. In the end, it came down to one shot, one rebound, one moment of brilliance.
With the win, Trinity matched their program record for wins in a season, 30, and held NYU to their lowest point total of the year, 60. Henry Vetter, for his clutch performance, was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while Okorougo and Lazarre earned All-Tournament honors.
This was a championship for the ages, a testament to the heart and determination of the Trinity Bantams. And for the NYU Violets, a tough lesson in the cruel, beautiful reality of March Madness.
