The Lower Columbia College Red Devils have WON their first championship in 50 years with an exciting 63-58 double-overtime victory over the Mount Hodd Saints in the NWAACC final in Kennewick. Tourney MVP Chris Bannish led the Devils to the title scoring 16 points. All-tourney selection Steven Trotter led all scorers with 20 points and Bryan Freshwater, also an all-tourney selection, had 12 points and seven rebounds and Keith Nelson had a huge game with 15 points. It took Lower Columbia two overtimes to accomplish a feat that they last achieved a half century ago - win the conference championship in men's basketball. The Saints were led by Gregg Barlow's 22 points and Jeremy Wyatt's 11 points. Both teams had chances at the end of the contest and in each overtime to win the game but LCC outscored MHCC 10-5 in the second overtime to win their first NWAACC Tournament title. They last won the championship in 1954 when the NWAACC was known as the Washington State Junior College Athletic Conference. The NWAACC Basketball Tournament began in 1965 and LCC has qualified for it 26 times, more than any other college, but had never won it until this year.
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