Jimmies fall to No. 6 Talladega in NAIA Round of 16

KANSAS CITY, Mo.-- The sixth-ranked Talladega (Ala.) College Tornado defense lived up to its top-ranked billing, holding the University of Jamestown to a season-low 56 points in a 67-56 defeat of the Jimmies at the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship Friday night at Municipal Auditorium.

Talladega (30-5), who leads the NAIA in fewest points per game allowed at 58.1, controlled the game's tempo and never let Jamestown (26-10) get into a groove offensively.

The Jimmies opened Friday's game with the first seven points, but after Mason Walters (JR/Jamestown, ND) made a layup at the 17:50 mark, went nearly four minutes without another point until Brady Birch (SR/Melrose, MN) grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a putback to make it 9-3 with 13:55 before the half. UJ then went scoreless for five minutes and six seconds until a pair of Walters free throws put Jamestown ahead 13-10.

Talladega took its first lead of the half on a three-pointer to break a 15-15 tie, then the teams would trade the lead until back-to-back baskets by Devon Schultz (SR/Arlington, MN) and Walters gave the Jimmies a three-point lead. With UJ ahead 25-23 and the clock nearing zero, Markel Williams made a long-range three-pointer to put the Tornados in front by a point at the break.

Jamestown retook the lead on a Will Cordes (SO/Shakopee, MN) layup that made it 31-30, but Talladega went on a 10-1 run, capped off by a Camron Reese dunk to increase their lead to eight. UJ would get as close as 41-38, but went scoreless for another three-and-a-half minutes to fall behind by seven.

The Jimmies came back from a 31.3 percent shooting performance in the first half to shoot 42.9 in the second, but 4-of-21 shooting from three-point range and 8-of-16 shooting at the free throw line did not help. UJ turned the ball over 13 times which led to 17 points for Talladega, who turned the ball over just six times resulting in four Jimmie points.

Walters led Jamestown with 17 points and had seven rebounds. Cordes was also in double figures with 11. Schultz added nine points, eight rebounds, and four blocked shots, while Kjos had eight rebounds and seven assists.

Talladega had three players in double figures, led by Cam Potts with 21.