SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Chris Dowe scored 21 points and Bellarmine University beat Minnesota State-Mankato 81-74 to earn its first berth in the NCAA Division II championship game.
Jeremy Kendle scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half and Justin Benedetti had 16 for the Knights (32-2), who shot 52 percent from both 3-point range and overall.
Cameron Hodges and Jefferson Mason each had 24 points to lead Mankato (28-5).
Bellarmine, a school of about 3,100 students in Louisville, Ky., has made 12 appearances in the NCAA tournament, but had never before made it past the regional finals.
