“This was the toughest game I ever coached in my life,” Head Coach Perry Shockley said. “I’ve never coached against a team that was so strong, organized, and disciplined. One rebound here, one shot there, or one free throw made or missed, and the outcome could have been different.”

Although the Eagles were behind for the majority of the game, they never trailed in the final six minutes of regulation or during the five-minute overtime period. After 40 minutes of regulation play, the score was knotted at 62 apiece. RHEMA’s Robert Jamerson hit a jumper from the free-throw line to open the scoring in the extra period and put the Eagles up by two.

After two RHEMA free throws gave the Eagles a four-point lead, Northwest Christian missed a three-pointer. Gabe White pulled the rebound for RHEMA and dished the ball to tournament-MVP Fua Igafo. Igafo heaved a full-court pass to a streaking Jacquari Wills, who connected on a layup and was fouled. Wills sank the free throw to give RHEMA a 69-62 lead. After holding the Beacons scoreless for the first 4:23 seconds of overtime, NCC pulled to within three after a free throw and a three-pointer.

Chad Stewart made it a two-possession game after sinking a free throw with 13.4 seconds remaining to give the Eagles a 70-66 lead. The Beacons scored on their next possession to make it a two-point game, but Brent Schiefelbein put the game out of reach with two clutch free throws to seal the victory for RHEMA, sending the RHEMA contingent into an uproar as they stormed the court.

“We played with everything we had, and so did they,” Shockley said. “We just got a couple of rebounds and a couple of loose balls that they didn’t. We hit some big shots. Robert hit a big shot in the high post. Fua hit a big three in the second half. Brent scored a big layup and hit some big free throws. Chad hit some big free throws. Everyone came through in a crucial moment and made plays.”

The game almost never made it to overtime, as RHEMA trailed by as many as 11 points on three different occasions in the first half. Trailing by six at the half, the Eagles stormed out of the second half with a 13-6 run, capped by a three-point basket by Igafo to give RHEMA a 42-41 lead. The teams traded buckets over the final 12 minutes of the second half, with neither team able to build more than a five-point lead.

Although the team had ridden the torrid shooting of Igafo and Jerid Cook and the rebounding of Schiefelbein in the first two rounds, it was a solid team effort that earned the championship trophy. “In the locker room before the game, we all locked arms, and I said, ‘Guys, we are a team. Everyone here is just as important as everyone else,’” Shockley said. “I read Philippians 2:2–5, which talks about being of one heart, one mind, and one body. I told them to esteem each other higher than themselves. We walked out of there with a team mentality, and I think that helped us tonight. I’m proud of them. We worked hard all year, so I’m happy to see them get this result.”

Igafo led all scorers with a game-high 21 points, shooting 50 percent (6-for-12) from three-point range. Schiefelbein, who was named to the all-tournament team despite playing with a fractured foot, added 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Wills also added 13 points and 8 rebounds along with 4 steals, 3 assists, and 3 blocked shots. White contributed 8 points and 7 rebounds, while Cook added 7 points and 7 rebounds. Jamerson also contributed 7 points.

For the tournament, Igafo averaged 18.3 points on 48 percent shooting (19-for-40), 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Cook averaged 18.7 points on 45 percent shooting (21-for-47), 6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2 steals. Schiefelbein averaged 13.7 points on 52 percent shooting (15-for-29), 12 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Wills averaged 9.3 points on 45 percent shooting (10-for-22), 5.3 rebounds, and 3.3 steals. White averaged 7.3 points and 6 rebounds, and Jamerson averaged 7.3 points and 3 rebounds.

RHEMA defeated the Florida College Falcons 91-76 in the quarterfinals and the Marygrove Mustangs 80-67 in the semifinals to reach the championship game. Cook led the Eagles to the finals with 23 points in game one and 26 points in game two.