Drew Blair leads Minnesota Duluth to Division II Central Region title in men's basketball

Blair made five three-pointers and scored 28 points for the Bulldogs, who advanced to the Elite Eight later this month.

March 15, 2023 at 4:43AM

Drew Blair made five of his eight three-point shots and scored 28 points to lead Minnesota Duluth to a 62-52 victory over Southern Nazarene on Tuesday night in the NCAA Division II Central Region men's basketball title game in Maryville, Mo.

"Our toughness and defense this week were off the charts," Bulldogs coach Justin Wieck said. "I am so proud of them."

Blair, a 6-5 redshirt guard who was named the region's Most Outstanding Player, went over 2,000 career points in this game. He now has 2,003; the school record is 2,045.

Junior guard Joshua Brown also had a big game for UMD with nine points — giving him 1,000 for hic career — and 11 rebounds.

The victory advances the Bulldogs (26-9)to the Elite Eight. Those quarterfinals, the ensuing semifinals and championship game will be in Evansville, Ind., on March 21, 23 and 25.

The night before, UMD advanced to the women's basketball Elite Eight.

U baseball loses in 15th

A disappointing season for Gophers baseball continues. Minnesota lost 6-4 to Gonzaga in 15 innings at U.S. Bank Stadium in a nonconference game.

The Bulldogs scored four runs in the top of the 15th, the Gophers (2-15) scored only two in the bottom of the inning.

Jake Perry was 3-for-5 with two RBI for Minnesota while starter Ben Shepard pitched 6⅔ strong innings, giving up two runs and five hits.

Etc.

  • The Gophers men's golf team finished 13th with a 36-over 876 at the Sea Island Shootout in St. Simon's Island, Ga. Playing as an individual, Minnesota senior Connor Glynn closed with a 69 for a 211 total, tying for ninth place.
  • Fifth-year senior Autumn Pease was named Big Ten pitcher of the week for winning three games in the Gopher Indoor Classic. The Murrieta, Calif., native pitched 15 innings without allowing a single earned run. Pease gave up five hits, struck out 27 and walked one.
  • Junior outside hitter Taylor Landfair and senior setter Melani Shaffmaster of the Gophers are among 18 collegiate volleyball players training this week with U.S. women's national team coach Karch Kiraly and his staff at the Anaheim National Team Training Center in Anaheim, Calif.
  • St. Scholastica hired Chelsea Meierotto as its volleyball coach. She coached the Northland College volleyball team the past four seasons.
  • D3hoops.com named St. Mary's senior guard Raheem Anthony the men's basketball Region 9 Player of the Year, while Kim Wagers of Concordia (Moorhead) was picked the women's region Coach of the Year. Besides Anthony, the other men's region first team pick was senior forward Jeremy Beckler of Carleton. Senior forward Rachel Kelly of St. Olaf made the women's Region 9 first team.
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