25 years ago: A look back at a national championship season
Twenty-five years ago this March, the 1994-95 NIACC men's basketball team claimed the NJCAA Division II national title with a 64-63 win over Grand Rapids (Mich.).
The following is a look back at the magical 1994-95 season:
(All information and quotes were originally published in the Globe Gazette)
1994-95 season (24-12 overall)
Highland 87, NIACC 74 (Highland Classic) - Paul Bruns scored 28 points and Ryan Pippett scored 19 points with 11 rebounds in the season-opening loss.
NIACC 69, Haskell Indian 66 (Highland Classic) - Ausery Washington scored 17 points to lead the Trojans. Bruns scored 12 points and reserve Andy Klemesrud scored 11 points. NIACC coach Dan Mason gave credit to the bench. "They won the game for us," Mason said. "They did all the little things - shutting the hot guy down, taking care of the ball. That lets you win games on the road."
Southeastern 93, NIACC 79 (A) - Washington scored 15 points and Grant Townsell scored 14 points in a non-league road loss to always-powerful Southeastern of Burlington. Mason said he was pleased with his team's effort in the 14-point loss. "About the only negative is getting home at 3:30 a.m., the coach said, "but we've got 'The Fugitive' to watch so it can't be all bad."
NIACC 117, Luther College junior varsity 91 (A) - Andy Klemesrud scored a team-high 18 points and Bruns scored 17 points. Pippett had a double/double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Bethany Lutheran 95, NIACC 92 (H) - Washington scored 27 points as the Trojans dropped their home opener. Bruns was next in line with 16 points and Pippett scored 14 points.
NIACC 104, Normandale 78 (NIACC Classic) - Bruns scored 27 points with 16 rebounds, including 22 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. "We really wanted to come out on fire," Bruns said. "We were going to try and win each five minutes of the game."
NIACC 104, Riverland Community College 92 (NIACC Classic) - Washington scored 24 points. Pippett scored 16 points, Bruns scored 14 points and Cory Thorson scored 11 points as the Trojans improved to 4-3.
NIACC 92, Ellsworth 62 (H) - Pippett, who was playing with the flu, led the Trojans in their ICCAC opener. Washington scored 18 points with 10 assists and five steals. "A couple of times, they slowed it down on us," Pippett said. "But overall, I think we kept the tempo up, like we like it."
NIACC 111, DMACC 90 (H) - Washington scored 25 points, Pippett scored 24 points and Bruns scored 20 points. Pippett scored 14 of his 24 in the final five minutes. "When it gets tight, you really have to step it up and get into the game. That what we did."
NIACC 103, Clinton 92 (A) - Bruns scored 24 points, including 22 in the first half as the Trojans pushed their winning streak to five games. Pippett scored 17 points, including 12 in the second half.
NIACC 89, Waldorf College 77 (H) - The Trojans moved to 8-3 overall and 4-0 with a 12-point win over the rival Warriors. The Trojans led 42-29 at the half and outscored Waldorf 11-1 in the early stages of the second half to remain perfect in league play. Washington led NIACC with 18 points and Pippett and Townsell both scored 16 points. "All of our cylinders were going," Townsell said. "We denied the ball, we pressured the ball."
Worthington 86, NIACC 85 (A) - The Trojans' six-game winning streak came to a close with narrow road loss. Washington led the Trojansw with 25 points and Bruns scored 18 points.
NIACC 78, Southeastern 76 (H) - Pippett drained two free throws with nine seconds remaining to give NIACC a 2-point win over the NJCAA Division I Blackhawks. "I love the crowd," Pippett said. "I really enjoy the big games. This makes up for Worthington - almost." Washington led the Trojans with 23 points and Pippett scored 14 points.
NIACC 92, Marshalltown 86 (A) - The Trojans wrapped up the pre-holiday portion of their schedule with a 60-point road win at NJCAA Division I Marshalltown. The Trojans (10-4) was led by Bruns with 29 points and Pippett with 20 points and eight rebounds. Thorson scored 11 points and Paul Rowenhorst scored eight points.
NIACC 101, NDS-Bottineau 66 (NDSCS Invitational) - The Trojans opened the 1995 portion of their schedule with a convincing victory. "The guys were sick of practice," Mason said. "They just wanted to play a game." Pippett scored 23 points and Bruns scored 16 points.
NDSCS 113, NIACC 104 (NDSCS Invitational) - Bruns posted career highs with 40 points and 20 rebounds in the loss to the host Wildcats. "If Paul Bruns can't play Division I basketball then I don't know who can," Mason said. "He was phenomenal tonight."
Iowa Central 77, NIACC 70 (H) - Bruns and Pippett both scored 20 points as the Trojans suffered their first ICCAC loss.
Kirkwood 97, NIACC 80 (H) - Kirkwood jumped out to a 62-30 lead at the half and cruised to a 17-point win. "The score was tied at 11-11 then they just played great and we played scared," Mason said. "We used two timeouts, changed people and tried to do anything to change the tide, but we just got shook big-time."
Iowa Lakes 78, NIACC 75 (A) - The Trojans' losing skid reached four game as Tory Meiborg hit a desperation 3-pointer with one second remaining to lift the Lakers to the 3-point victory. "When it went in, I was just crushed," Mason said. "Our players - they were just stunned. It was unbelievable."
NIACC 89, Southwestern 81 (H) - Townsell scored 28 points, including six 3-point goals, to lead the Trojans. "We struggled the last four games and it was just a matter of getting over the hump," Townsell said. "Today, we just came to win."
NIACC 73, Ellsworth 71 (A) - Pippett scored 25 points and Bruns scored 20 points as the Trojans escaped with a narrow win. Ellsworth had a chance to win the game in the final seconds with a 3-pointer. "They took a shot and I thought 'Oh no, it's going in," Mason said.
Marshalltown 73, NIACC 69 (H) - Marshalltown avenged an earlier loss with a 4-point victory. Pippett led the Trojans with 25 points and Townsell scored 16 points.
NIACC 80, Waldorf 79 (A) - The Trojans trailed 67-51 with 10 minutes left and rallied for the one-point victory to sweep the regular-season series against the rival Warriors. Bruns scored 28 points, including his game-winner from the free-throw line with five seconds left. "I wanted to take it. Oh yeah, I wanted to take that shot," Bruns said. "When I let it go, it was off a bit, but man, we got the roll. It was sweet."
NIACC 92, Luther College junior varsity 82 (H) - Townsell led the way with 25 points. Bruns scored 21 points and Thorson and Pippett both scored 17 points each.
NIACC 93, Iowa Central 77 (A) - The Trojans improved to 4-1 on the road in league games and avenged an earlier home-court loss to the Tritons. Thorson and Townsell led the Trojans with 20 points each. "I don't care what league you're in, when you win on the road, it shows mental toughness," Mason said.
Southwestern 87, NIACC 73 (A) - The Spartans used a powerful inside game to top the Trojans. "Inside, we just didn't stop them," Mason said. Bruns led the Trojans with 26 points.
Kirkwood 90, NIACC 87 (OT) (A) - Bruns hit a 3-pointer with five seconds left in regulation to force overtime but the Trojans came up short in the extra session. Bruns led the Trojans with 27 points. Pippett and Townsell both scored 15 points.
Clinton 91, NIACC 89 (H) - Bruns scored 34 points in the 2-point league loss. The Trojans fell behind 15-5 in the early stages and never led in the contest.
NIACC 86, Iowa Lakes 83 (H) - NIACC upset the fourth-ranked and league-leading Lakers in the NIACC gym. Bruns scored 22 points and Pippett scored 20 points. "We wanted to pick up a win tonight to show other teams we're still around," Bruns said. "Now, we've got our confidence back."
NIACC 95, DMACC 86 (A) - Bruns scored 32 points and Pippett scored 27 points with 19 rebounds in the Trojans' regular-season finale as they earned the No. 3 seed in the NJCAA Region XI tournament in the NIACC gym.
NJCAA Regional XI tournament (At Mason City)
NIACC 74, Kirkwood 73 - NIACC trailed by 15 points in the second half and used a pair of free throws from Bruns with 13 seconds left to advance to the final four of the regional tournament. "The big thing is, we ain't going to give up," Bruns said. "That's what this is all about, having the big game when you need to." Pippett led the Trojans with 26 points and Bruns scored 25 points.
NIACC 87, Waldorf College 74 - NIACC trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half, were down 43-31 at the half and rallied for a 13-point victory and a berth in the regional title game. "We never gave up," said Thorson, who scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half. "I guess that's our motto this year." Townsell led the Trojans with 31 points.
NIACC 83, Iowa Lakes 75 - Bruns scored 30 points to lift the Trojans past the top-seeded Lakers in the regional title game and a berth in the national tournament for the first time in school history. Bruns, Pippett and Townsell all were selected to the all-tournament team.
NJCAA national tournament (Danville, Ill.)
NIACC 78, Alfred State (New York) 66 - Bruns scored 28 points, Pippett scored 21 points and Townsell scored 21 points in the national tournament opener. But defense lifted the Trojans to the final four. "If you learn anything when you play basketball at NIACC, it's how to stick people with D," Townsell said.
NIACC 80, Allegheny County (Penn.) 74 - The Trojans rallied from a 10-point deficit to move to the national title game. "I can't say I thought this would happen," NIACC's Ryan Tucker said, "but I wished and I wished. One more win. One more win. That's all we need. That's all I want." Bruns led the way with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Pippett score 16 points, including 14 in the second half.
NIACC 64, Grand Rapids (Michigan) 63 - Townsell connected on a baseline jumper with 3.4 seconds remaining to give the Trojans the national title. "I'll never forget this feeling," said Townsell, who sealed the win by intercepting Grand Rapids' inbounds pass. "My gosh, we are national champions," said Bruns, who was the tournament's MVP and led NIACC with 25 points. Pippett, who was also an all-tournament pick, scored 14 points. "
