RICHMOND, VA–The Division III Charlottesville Cardinals entered the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s national championship tournament ranked as #6 in Division III.
In the NWBA’s “Sweet Sixteen” matchup, the Cardinals faced the #11 Tampa Bay Strong Dogs in a tough contest that saw the Cardinals emerge with a 44-41 victory.
The win propelled the Charlottesville squad into the “Elite Eight” competition where they faced the #3 Tucson Lobos. The Lobos built a 34-21 edge at halftime and the Cardinals made several surges in the third quarter to cut the deficit, but ultimately Tucson recovered and advanced to the Final Four with a 67-52 victory. Tucson eventually won the Division III championship by defeating the #1 Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Cardinals then faced the #7 Shepherd (Atlanta) Stealers in a hotly competed game. Charlottesville posted a 29-22 margin at halftime and stretched the lead to 45-32 at the end of the 3rd quarter. Shepherd mounted a furious rally and cut the margin to 53-50 with two minutes remaining–after both the Cardinals’ Josiah Knight and Cor’Rales Dupree fouled out. But two quick baskets by the Cardinals’ Brandon Rush and Arthur Tracy sealed a victory for Charlottesville, 57-50.
The Cardinals then faced in-state rival Virginia Sunwheelers in the contest for 5th place. Charlottesville again jumped to an early led by 12 points, 39-27, at the end of the 3rd quarter. The Sunwheelers rallied briefly but the Cardinals held on to win 46-39 and claim the victory.
The Cardinals finish the season with a #5 national ranking, a 17-4 record in Division III, and an 18-6 overall record.
Looking forward to next year!