NCAA DIVISION II : Riverside Reaches Title Game With Upset of No. 1 Indiana

UC Riverside’s William Wilson didn’t get caught up in the moment with the game on the line.

Wilson made four free throws and grabbed a key rebound in the final 37.2 seconds to lift the No. 6 Highlanders to a 73-69 semifinal victory over top-ranked Indiana (Pa.) in the NCAA Division II tournament Thursday night.

“I really didn’t think about it. I didn’t look at the scoreboard,” said Wilson, who finished with 17 points, seven assists and three steals. “It felt like we were in our gym at Riverside.”

Riverside (25-5), the West Region champion, will play No. 5 Southern Indiana (28-4) for the championship Saturday. Southern Indiana defeated Norfolk State, 89-81, in the other semifinal.

Indiana (29-2) tied the score, 69-69, on Derrick Freeman’s three-point play with 1:09 to go.

Riverside, working patiently for the go-ahead basket, had the ball deflected into the backcourt and hurried to get off the shot before time on the shot clock expired.

The ball went to Craig Marshall in the corner, but as he misfired, Wilson was fouled near the lane by Yancy Taylor with 37.2 seconds left. Wilson made both free throws for a 71-69 lead.

Indiana got off two shots in the final 10 seconds, Taylor missing a 16-footer and Robert Misenko misfiring in the lane on the rebound. Wilson got the ball after Misenko’s shot, was fouled, and made two more free throws for the final points.

Indiana shot 57% (26 of 46) from the field but had 17 turnovers, which Riverside converted into 13 points. Riverside shot 55%.