Kirkwood takes down No. 1 Triton for NJCAA D-II basketball title

No. 6 Kirkwood won its second men's basketball national title Saturday night, upsetting top-ranked Triton, 83-76, in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II championship game in Danville, Ill.

The Eagles (31-4) broke a 30-game winning streak for Triton (34-3), which had not lost since falling to Indian Hills, 104-85, back on Nov. 21.

Kirkwood led much of the game and after Byron Harp hit a pair of foul shots with 1:25 to play, it was 76-68.

But a pair of 3-pointers by Triton sophomore Eric Gillespie cut the lead down to three, 79-76, with 27.1 seconds left.

The Eagles hurt themselves by hitting just 3-of-10 at the foul line over a 60-second stretch.

The Trojans missed several 3-pointers that could have tied it, and Kirkwood sophomore Nick Richards was fouled on a rebound with 6.8 seconds left.

Despite hitting just 1-of-6 from the line in three previous trips, Richards nailed both shots.

Jacob Olson then hit a pair of foul shots with 1.2 seconds left to provide the final margin.

Richards led the Eagles with 21 points and Harp added 15. Cristen Wilson grabbed 12 rebounds.

Third-year Kirkwood coach Bryan Petersen was named national coach of the year.

The Eagles also won a national title in 1998.