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Men's basketball team captures sixth place at NCCAA national tournament

The Multnomah men's Sports Ambassadors placed sixth at the National Christian College Athletics Association national tournament in Oklahoma City March 5-7. The team earned its spot at the national tournament by winning the West Coast regional tournament in Redding, Calif., in February. The last time an MBC sports team participated at the national level was in 1988.

The team went into the tournament seated sixth in the nation and came out in the same seat. They won one game and lost two.

Mid-America Bible College, the tournament winner, defeated the Ambassadors 84-63 in its first tournament game. According to Coach Chris Reese, the Ambassadors played a close game until the final 15 minutes when they experienced "a mental breakdown. The nerves hit," Coach Reese said.

Junior Nathan Dinger said the team wasn't "ready" for the first game. "They had a full-court press we weren't prepared to break," he said.

The Ambassadors improved their play in the second game, defeating Central Bible College 83-67. Coach Reese said the team played well and with confidence in this game.

The Ambassadors played their third and final game against Maranatha Bible College. They played a close game and fought hard, but Maranatha pulled ahead toward the end of the game, defeating MBC 79-76. "The guys experienced a lot of disappointment in losing that game," Coach Reese said.

One basket would have tied the game, said freshman Larry Peacock. "Every point counts in tournament play," he said. "A 5-point lead is huge. Everyone is playing such intense defense that it's hard to make a basket."

Coach Reese said that earning a spot in the national tournament was a privilege for the Ambassadors. One team from each of the eight regions makes it to nationals so only eight teams out of 60 nationwide earn a tournament spot.

Coach Reese said he was impressed by the level of competition. "We played in a first class-tournament," Coach Reese said. "It was a big accomplishment to win a game."

He also praised the Ambassadors' performance and attitude. "Multnomah gained some respect," he said. "Our performance in the tournament put us back on the map." He said that coaches from other schools praised the Ambassadors for good athleticism and team spirit.

The team gained valuable experience and something to look forward to by attending the tournament, according to Coach Reese. He is expecting six of his nine players to return next season, and he's confident that the Ambassadors will have a good chance of returning to nationals next year. "The guys are ready," he said. "They know what to expect."

Sophomore Andrew Johnson said that "knowing what to expect" is the edge that will help the team do well if it competes at nationals next year.

Peacock, who plans to return to the team next year, said participating in high-level competition at the tournament inspired the players to work hard this summer so they can return strong. "Everything we worked on all year came together at the end," he said. "We need to come back [next year] right where we left off."

Coach Reese said he has been impressed with this year's team. The team began the season with only two returning players and eight new players. Three players didn't return second semester. They got off to a rocky start this semester, but quickly built confidence, Coach Reese said.

Coach Lois Vos said the team showed tremendous growth in its play as the season progressed. "They proved to themselves that they could compete as the team they are," she said.

The men's Sports Ambassadors finished this season with 21 wins and 13 losses. The '97-'98 Ambassadors are Andy Abramson, Henry Barrera, Bill Bedell, Jeremy Borg, Sam Couture, Nathan Dinger, Andrew Johnson, Larry Peacock and Justin Pope.