PHILIPPI, West Virginia - On Saturday afternoon in Philippi, West Virginia on the campus of Alderson Broaddus University, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference crowned its second-ever Men’s Basketball champion, though the Alderson Broaddus became the first Men’s Basketball champion since the G-MAC became an active NCAA Division II conference.

Alderson Broaddus battled late in the contest, scoring the games final four points and winning 65-61 over Kentucky Wesleyan. (Box Score and Play by Play)
 
In the first half, the teams battled through the first 20 minutes, which featured six lead changes and neither team holding a lead more than five points. Tied at 21-21, AB went on a quick 4-0 run to take a slim advantage, one they would hold into the half at 31-27.
 
Despite a low scoring first half for two teams that came in averaging 102 points (KWC) and 92 points (ABU) per game through the first two games of the tournament, both teams shot very well at just above 52% in the first half. The Panthers Lonnie Hayes led all scorers with nine points on three 3-pointers, while Adam Kline paced the Battlers with seven points and four rebounds. Devin Langford came in off the bench for KWC and produced, scoring six points on 3-3 shooting and had a game-high five rebounds in the first half.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan came out strong in the second half, taking a five point lead behind a 12-4 run over the first five minutes. The Battlers held strong through their struggles as their shooting percentage dropped ten percent behind 3-11 shooting to start the half. Back-to-back lay-ups by Thylas Perkins and Richard Lemon began a 11-3 run for AB, giving the Battlers the 44-41 lead with just over 10 minutes to go.
 
Leading up to the exciting finish, the teams exchanged buckets before Alderson Broaddus  secured the game with a buck by Ali Bilal and a pair of clutch free throws Thylas Perkins to secure the 65-61 win.
 
Hayes led all scores with 28 and was joined in double-figures by Donovan Johnson, who had 10. For Alderson Broaddus, all five starters reached double-figures led by Adam Kline and Ali Bilal, who had 13 points each. Thylas Perkins had 11, while Richard Lemon and Malcolm Tatum had 10 each. Kline and Johnson each led their respective teams with nine rebounds, while Tatum had a game-high five assists.