POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – The No. 2 ranked Golden Eagles go for their 4^th NAIA DII National Championship tonight on the campus of College of the Ozarks as they take on No. 1 ranked Union College (Ky.). The game will be streamed live on ESPN 3 and is a matchup of the top two ranked teams in the nation.
Opponent: Union (Ky.)

Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Time: 97 p.m. EST
Location: Point Lookout, Mo.
Internet Coverage: Live Video/Audio/Stats (ESPN 3)
 
Scouting Union – Head coach Kevin Burton (5th Season)
5th year head coach Kevin Burton has the Union Bulldogs in their first ever NAIA DII National Championship game as they enter on a 32-game winning streak and are 34-3 overall. The Bulldogs, who swept through the Appalachian Athletic Conference with a perfect 20-0 mark, have not lost since a 77-57 setback to Pikeville (Ky.) back on November 8. Union, which ranks No. 1 in the country in Steals (370) and No. 2 in Scoring (3,250 points), has won their games by an average of 18.2 points per night. Gerrard Newby leads the team in scoring at 20.8 points per night while Paul Stone (17.8), Tyrone Sherman (13.7) and Jaylen Daniel (11.7) all average in double-figures. Union is also the top-ranked rebounding team in the country as they average 42.9 boards per night.      
 
How They Got Here
Cornerstone advanced to the finals thanks to an 89-83 win over Pacific Union in the first round, a 66-58 win over St. Francis in the second round, a 97-87 win over IU-East in the quarterfinals and a 69-67 win over.Bellevue in the semifinals. Union, the No. 1 ranked team in the country, has posted wins over Aquinas (95-83), College of Idaho (83-82), Trinity International (98-60) and Indiana Wesleyan (92-80).
 
NAIA Tournament History
Cornerstone is making their 15th appearance at the NAIA National Tournament and 14th since it was moved to Point Lookout, Mo. CU has an overall record of 37-11 in the tourney and boasts a trio of championships in 1999, 2011 and 2015.
 
4th Trip to the Title Game
The win over #22 Bellevue lifted CU into their 4th ever NAIA DII National Title game. Cornerstone has appeared in 1999, 2011 and 2015.
 
All-Time vs. No. 1 Ranked Teams
Cornerstone is 3-2 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams with their last win coming on February 20, 2016 when the Golden Eagles defeated Davenport, 78-68. Other all-time matchups against top ranked NAIA DII Teams are Indiana Wesleyan (Nov. 8, 2014 – L, 83-78), St. Francis IN (Nov. 16, 2010 – W, 92-89 OT) and Northwestern IA (Mar. 17, 2003 – L, 103-92) and Embry Riddle FL (Mar. 10, 2001 – W, 87-80).
 
 
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