KANSAS CITY, MO:  The Texas Wesleyan University men's basketball team (29-7) delivered a dominant 86-76 victory over Life University (26-11) in the 2017 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship Game at Municipal Auditorium Tuesday night.
  The Running Eagles entered the contest as the hottest team in the country, riding a 16-game winning streak, but the Rams asserted themselves from the start.
 
Head Coach Brennen Shingleton was proud of his team, and unsurprised by the outcome.  "We've got senior leadership," he said.  "We're tough.  It's almost as if we got in better shape as we went along.  We never lost touch with who we are, and we just stayed the course."
 
The title is the second for the Texas Wesleyan men's basketball program.  The Rams also won in 2006.  In 15 tournament appearances the Rams hold an all-time record of 18-13.
 
The game could not have gone better for the Rams from the opening tip.  Tournament MVP Dion Rogers knocked down a three to start the scoring.  Texas Wesleyan held a steady lead over the Eagles until late in the half.  The Rams scored the final 10 points of the period to go to the locker room with a comfortable 35-23 advantage.


 
The Rams' swarming defense held Life to 29% shooting in the first half while hitting at 40% on their own end.  In the second half, the Rams stepped up the offensive production to 57% shooting.
 
Life made one push midway through the second half, cutting the score to 49-45 with a three from Jonathan Beausejour.  Texas Wesleyan answered with 10 consecutive points capped by a jumper from Naiel Smith.  The margin swelled to as many as 17-points (62-45) and the Eagles never got the gap down to single digits again.
 
Dion Rogers poured in a game-high 28 points and was named the Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player after averaging 21 points per game in Texas Wesleyan's five tournament wins.  "I can't even explain it," Rogers said of his feelings after the win.  "I'm just so happy for us.  This was our goal going into the year, and it's a long season.  You have a lot to accomplish on the way there, a lot of ups and downs, but we got through everything and met our goal."
 
Naiel Smith reached a milestone during the second half.  His sixth and final assist of the contest tied the school's single season record at 263 assists on the year.

Ryan Harris and Najeal Young were also named to the All-Tournament team.  Harris finished with 21 points in the championship game while Young posted a second consecutive double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  Smith finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Two-time Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Brennen Shingleton was also named the 2016-17 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Coach of the Year following the victory.


 
Life was led by Dalarian Williams and Zach Landis who scored 25 and 21 points respectively.  Landis also brought down 11 rebounds.
 
Not only the oldest national championship, the NAIA National Championship is often called college basketball toughest tournament.  Brennen Shingleton's team exhibited the toughness it takes to win five games in six days against the top competition in the nation.
 
Ramblings

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- Dion Rogers finished his two-year career at 19th on Texas Wesleyan's all-time scoring list with 1,074 career points.

- Naiel Smith tied the school's single season record with 263 assists.  That record was set by Todd Chappell in the 1999-2000 season.  
 
- The Rams, in their 15th NAIA National Tournament appearance now hold an all-time tournament record of 18-13.  The team's tournament history dates back to the 4th NAIB Tournament in 1940 when they reached the quarterfinals.  The Rams have also made appearances in 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1983, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017.  They have advanced to the round of 16, 9 times, the quarterfinals 4 times, semifinals twice, championship game twice, and won two titles in 2006, and 2017.
 
- The Rams won the title in 2006 with a 67-65 victory over Oklahoma City on a buzzer-beating three-point shot from senior guard Ben Hunt.
 
- The Rams had never before faced any of their five opponents in the NAIA National Tournament: University of the Cumberlands, The Master's University, Dalton State College, William Penn University, and Life University.