Jimmies head to GPAC title game with win over CUNE

The 11th-ranked Jimmie men's basketball team secured a spot in the GPAC title game with a 95-77 semifinal win over Concordia (Neb.) Saturday afternoon at Harold Newman Arena.

THE BASICS
Final score: #11 UJ 95, Concordia (Neb.) 77
Location: Jamestown, N.D. - Harold Newman Arena
Records: #11 UJ 25-5, Concordia (Neb.) 18-12

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Jamestown built an 11-point lead just 6:29 into the game on 8-of-15 shooting. In the same time frame, the Bulldogs turned the ball over eight times and managed only six shots, making three of them.
• After Joel Baker's three-pointer cut the lead to 17-9, UJ went on an 8-0 run, capped off by Camron Ketchum's three-pointer that made it 25-9 with 10:56 in the half.
• The Jimmies finished the half shooting 55 percent and held CUNE to 29 percent. Jamestown had a 14-1 advantage in points off turnovers as well as a 24-10 edge in points in the paint.
• Mason Walters paced UJ with 19 first half points, hitting on eight of his nine shots overall as well as both of his three-point attempts.
• Marc Kjos opened the second half with a three-pointer to increase the lead to 56-26.
• Logan Wilson got the Bulldogs within 21 points (67-46) on a three with 12:19 to play, but Walters scored on UJ's next trip down the court to begin a 10-2 run that pushed the lead back to 29.
• With the game's outcome no longer in question, CUNE outscored Jamestown 17-9 over the final 4:41 to make it an 18-point game.

JAMESTOWN STAT LEADERS

• Walters finished with 33 points and was 13-of-15 from the field and 5-of-7 at the free throw line.
• Cole Woodford was also in double figures with 17 points and made three three-pointers.
• Kjos was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc for his nine points.
• Reid Gastner pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
• Jimmy Llinas chipped in with nine points, four rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in 15 minutes off the bench.

UP NEXT

• UJ aims to be the first team to win both the regular season and postseason championship since Morningside (Iowa) in 2017-18.
• The GPAC title game against Dordt (Iowa) will be 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Harold Newman Arena.