Tigers run to its first-ever national title comes to an end with a heartbreaking 61-60 loss

Winning 30 games for only the second time in the program's history, the second-seed Cowley College basketball team came within one point of advancing to the Final Four of the2025 NJCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball National Tournament before losing to seventh-seed Trinity Valley 61-60 on Wednesday in Hutchinson, KS.

"We maximized every ounce of our ability this year," Cowley College head coach Donnie Jackson said. "This team was bought in and committed to what was expected. Truly a special group."

A 26-4 second-half run helped the Cardinals turn a 39-27 deficit into a 53-43 advantage before Cowley used a furious rally of its own to pull within 61-60 and have a chance to win at the end. However, sophomore Emarquis Jones' 10-footer crept off the rim just before the final buzzer sounded.

Trinity Valley 32-3 advances to the Final Four and will play again on Friday at 8 p.m. vs. the winner of the No. 14-seed Vincennes University (IN) and No. 6-seed Panola College (TX).

Cowley finishes an incredible season with a record of 30-5. The sophomores won the second most games in the program's history, with 58 victories over the past two seasons. The only better stretch was during Coach Steve Eck's two years (2007-09), where the Tigers won 60 games.

As was the case in Cowley's win over Triton College on Monday, the teams started slow offensively, with the game's first points coming on a basket by the Cardinals' Camarion Johnson nearly three minutes into the contest.

After another basket by Trinity Valley and a three-pointer by Garrett Nuckolls, the Tigers were forced to call timeout, trailing 7-0 with 16 minutes left in the first half.

Cowley missed its first nine shots and was down 9-0 before sophomore Avante Nichols got the Tigers on the board with a pair of free throws with 14:29 remaining in the half. A dunk by Emarquis Jones followed for Cowley's first basket, and the Tigers rattled off eight straight points to force a timeout by Trinity Valley.

A three-pointer by Cowley's Marcus Whitlock Jr. tied the game at 11-11, and the Tigers took its first lead at 13-11 on an alley-oop slam dunk by Nichols.

Trinity Valley would regain the lead (17-13) with six straight points. However, Cowley would use a 13-4 run to lead 26-21 and went into halftime with a 28-25 advantage.

After missing its first nine shots, Cowley made 11 of its last 16 shots of the half to have the three-point lead despite committing 11 turnovers.

The Tigers would score on its first four possessions of the second half and forced another timeout by the Cardinals with Cowley leading 36-27 with 16:55 remaining. The timeout did not slow the Tigers as another three-pointer by Whitlock gave Cowley a double-digit lead at 39-27.

However, sophomore point guard Marcus Zeigler, who hit the game-winner on Monday, picked up his fourth foul and headed to the bench with 14:35 remaining. The Cardinals would take advantage by scoring eight straight points to pull within 39-35.

Trinity Valley would grab its first lead of the second half (43-42) on a bucket by Cameron Williams with 10:05 remaining. Another basket by Williams capped an 18-3 run that gave the Cardinals a 45-42 lead.

With his team leading 45-42, Trinity Valley head coach Greg Heiar did not like a call on the floor and was whistled for a technical foul. However, Whitlock missed the free throw and Cowley turned the ball over on the ensuing inbounds pass.

The Cardinals took advantage of the miscues by scoring on its next three possessions, taking its largest lead of the game at 51-42 with 7:15 left to play.

Trailing by 10 (53-43), Cowley attempted one final charge and closed within 59-55 on a Whitlock three-pointer with 2:40 left. After a stop on the defensive end, Zeigler was fouled with 2:12 remaining. The sophomore made 1-of-2 free throws to pull Cowley within 59-56.

Zeigler pulled Cowley within 59-58 with his driving layup with 130 remaining. The Cardinals' lead would grow to 61-58 following a tip-in by MJ Wardlow with 36 seconds left before Whitlock was fouled on a three-point attempt with 12.7 seconds left.

Whitlock's first free throw bounced high off the rim before falling through, and the sophomore then made the second free throw before missing the third. The Cardinals would gain possession of the basketball after a chase for the loose ball.

However, Trinity Valley turned the ball over on the ensuing inbounds play, and Cowley called timeout with 5.8 seconds left.

With one final chance to win, the Tigers' Emarquis Jones missed the  10-foot jumper, and the Cardinals ended Cowley's dream season.

"There are many things in the game that went good and bad," Jackson said. "Through it all, it was one heck of a game. We gave ourselves an opportunity for some more Tiger Magic with a great pass from Slim (Shamarrie Hugie) to Emarquis. Unfortunately, we came up just short in the end."

The Cardinals entered the contest with no player averaging more than 10.1 points per game and had 13 players score in its second-round win over Trinidad State. Tyler Smith and Cameron Williams led Trinity Valley with 14 points.

Marcus Whitlock Jr.led Cowley with a game-high 22 points while going 5-of-11 from three-point range. Whitlock's 561 points are the 21^st most scored in a single season at Cowley.

Fellow sophomores Marcus Zeigler (13 points, seven rebounds) and Shamarrie Hugie (11 points) also scored in double figures in their final games in a Cowley uniform.

"This has been a heck of a ride," Jackson said. "I want to thank the sophomores for everything they devoted to the program. Words can't express what they mean to me. They will forever have a big place in my heart. I would also like to thank Tiger Nation for the unbelievable support that they gave our team."

The box score can be found at: https://njcaastats.prestosports.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/div1/boxscores/20250326_emz2.xml