Tweet #theGAC  TOPEKA, Kansas - The No. 2-seeded Oklahoma Baptist Bison made history Tuesday night, defeating Minnesota Duluth 80-76 in the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament Final inside Lee Arena at Washburn University. With the victory, OBU improves to 30-3 overall and becomes the first Great American Conference men's basketball program to win a regional championship.

The Jason Eaker-led squad now has 30 wins, most since 2011-12 at OBU and the most by a Great American Conference team.

Oklahoma Baptist set the tone early with an efficient and aggressive first half, building a 44-31 lead at the break. The Bison shot an impressive 58.1 percent from the field (18-of-31) and 40 percent from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. Defensively, OBU was just as effective, holding Minnesota Duluth to 44.4 percent shooting and limiting the Bulldogs to just 3-of-12 from three-point range.

UMD responded in the second half, cutting into the deficit behind improved offensive production and strong work on the glass. The Bulldogs scored 45 second-half points and outrebounded OBU 25-20 after the break, trimming the margin to single digits late in the game. Despite shooting just 30.8 percent in the second half, the Bison maintained control by consistently getting to the free-throw line and converting key opportunities down the stretch.

Terry Coner Jr. led all scorers with 24 points, including three made three-pointers, while adding two assists. Joshua Udoumoh and Jackson Greene each contributed 13 points, with Udoumoh adding a team-high eight rebounds. Greene also recorded two steals, helping anchor the defensive effort. Christian Hodge added nine points and six rebounds, while Erik Madrid provided eight points and four rebounds. Madrid also hit two huge free throws with 37 seconds which pushed the score to 76-69.

As a team, Oklahoma Baptist shot 45.6 percent from the field and held UMD to 41.3 percent shooting. The Bison forced 11 turnovers and turned them into 16 points. The turnover battle, OBU's ability to control the tempo and Coner Jr. ended up being the difference in the game.

With the win, Oklahoma Baptist advances to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight at Duquesne University's UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Bison earned the No. 7 seed and will face Cal State East Bay at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25.