NORTH CANTON, Ohio- The No. 1 seed Walsh University Cavaliers won their fifth Great Midwest Men’s Basketball title Saturday afternoon with an 86-73 win over No. 2 Lake Erie. Three different Cavaliers would find themselves scoring in double-digits on the day, with Freshman of the Year Brayden Gross leading the way with 13 points.
 
Walsh (27-3, 17-3), ranked fifth in the most recent regional rankings, earned the automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA tournament.
 
Both teams battled to the end as there were seven lead changes throughout the contest.
 
Walsh enjoyed a 57.8 FG%, shooting 37-64 on the day.
 
Zack Oddo was a standout for head coach Jeff Young, registering a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Quintero Barnett chipped in 12 points on 5-9 shooting to round out double-digit scorers from Walsh.
 
Amari Williams led all-scores with 20 points in the Storm’s first conference championship debut.
 
Ashland, Lake Erie, and Walsh are ranked in the most recent Midwest regional rankings. The Cavaliers will earn the automatic qualifying bid, while the Storm and Eagles will look to earn an at-large bid. The NCAA selection show is scheduled for Sunday, March 8 at 11 P.M. ET. The selection show can be watched HERE.