Concordia Advances With Luster
Tanner Luster had 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead defending champion Irvine Concordia to a 72-57 victory over Mobile on Monday night in the NAIA Division I men’s basketball semifinals at Kansas City, Mo.
Sixth-seeded Concordia (34-4) will play top-seeded Mountain State of West Virginia tonight in a rematch of last year’s championship game, which Concordia won, 88-84, in overtime.
Nick Vanderalann had 13 points and 19 rebounds for Concordia. Chris Victor added 14 points.
Tramaine Perry had 23 points for 15th-seeded Mobile (29-10). Gimel Lewis added 14.
Concordia had advanced to the semifinals by defeating Linsey Wilson of Kentucky, 61-58.
Mountain State 96, Georgetown, Ky., 77 -- Senior forward Zach Moss had 34 points and 11 rebounds in Mountain State’s victory over Georgetown of Kentucky in the other semifinal at Kansas City.
Mountain State (36-1) also had 18 points from Kortaa Hall.
Mountain State players have maintained they don’t feel any extra burden being the top-seeded team in the final.
“Nope, no pressure,” Moss told the Kansas City Star. “We’ve been No. 1 the whole year, so why should we feel pressure? We just came here to play.”
Zane Gilliard and Anthony Walker each contributed 12 points.
Will Walker had 24 points for Georgetown (30-8). Marshall Williams added 23.