JACK ROBERTSON ARENA | BAY MINETTE, Ala. - A trip to the NJCAA National Championship Tournament will be on the line Saturday afternoon, Mar. 7 as two of the top teams in NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball meet in the NJCAA D-II Gulf South District Championship.
No. 23 Coastal Alabama - North will face No. 1 Palm Beach State College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT inside Jack Robertson Arena on the Bay Minette campus of Coastal Alabama Community College. The winner will earn the district's automatic berth into the NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship on Mar. 16-21 at the Mary Miller Center in Danville, Ill.
The game will be broadcast live on JockJive.com free of charge, and admission to Jack Robertson Arena is free for fans attending in person.
A Clash of Streaking Champions
Saturday's matchup brings together two conference champions that are both playing their best basketball of the season.
Palm Beach State enters the contest ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Division II poll with a 31-3 overall record and fresh off winning the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) Championship. The Panthers ride a 19-game winning streak into the district title game.
Meanwhile, Coastal Alabama - North has been equally dominant in the state of Alabama. The Coyotes captured the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Division II Championship and carry a 24-8 overall record into Saturday's contest. The Coyotes have not lost since Jan. 5, putting together a 14-game winning streak during their championship run.
Taylor Leads Coyotes' Resurgence
Much of Coastal Alabama - North's success has come under the direction of fifth-year head coach Chuck Taylor, who was recently named ACCC D-II Men's Basketball Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. Taylor's squad finished 15-1 in conference play, while posting strong results in every environment, including a 12-2 record at home, 9-5 on the road, and 3-1 in neutral-site games.
The Coyotes have built their success on a balanced roster that features multiple scoring threats, strong rebounding, and efficient ball movement.
Coastal - North averages 75.1 points per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, with five players averaging at least seven points per contest.
Chimeziri Okeoma leads the Coyotes offensively with 14.0 points per game. The sophomore guard has also been effective from beyond the arc, knocking down 56 three-pointers at a 35 percent clip, while shooting 81.7 percent from the free throw line. Okeoma was named to the ACCC D-II Second-Team All-Conference Team this season.
In the paint, Bryce Wilkins has been a dominant interior presence, averaging 13.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Wilkins has shot nearly 60 percent from the field (59.9%) and leads the team with 275 rebounds, including 112 offensive boards.
Starting point guard Eli Pippins orchestrates the offense and ranks among the conference's top playmakers, averaging 11.1 points and 7.6 assists per game. Pippins has dished out 244 assists this season while also contributing 2.2 steals per contest. He leads the team in both categories.
Pippins, along with Wilkins, were both named to the ACCC D-II First-Team All-Conference Team, with Wilkins earning the ACCC All-Tournament MVP honor.
The Coyotes' frontcourt provides physicality and rim protection. Justin Burns averages 8.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while also leading the team with 36 blocks. Meanwhile, Bryson Holmes contributes 7.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, adding 37 blocks and providing versatility on both ends of the floor.
As a team, the Coyotes have controlled the glass, averaging a strong 43.9 rebounds per game while limiting opponents to just 67.1 points per contest.
District Title on the Line
With both teams riding double-digit winning streaks and championship momentum, Saturday's district final sets up as the biggest game of the season thus far for both programs.
For Coastal Alabama - North, the opportunity to play in Bay Minette provides an added boost as the Coyotes look to continue their late-season surge and earn a spot on the national stage in front of an expected large crowd of supporters.
Tipoff between No. 23 Coastal Alabama - North and No. 1 Palm Beach State College is set for 3:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Jack Robertson Arena, with the NJCAA Division II National Tournament berth hanging in the balance.
FOLLOW THE YOTES
For coverage of Coastal Alabama North Athletics, follow the Coyotes on social media at /CoastalAlabamaNorth (Facebook), @CoastalAL_north (Twitter), and @coastalal_north (Instagram), or visit the official home of the Coastal Alabama North Athletic Department at https://coastalcoyotessnorth.com/index.aspx.
