SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – One former Warsaw Community High School boys basketball standout put his college team in the semifinals of the NAIA Division II National Tournament, while another’s season ended Saturday in the quarterfinals.
Spring Arbor University junior Paul Marandet, a 2016 Warsaw grad and three-year starter for the Tigers, flirted with a triple-double Saturday as the Cougars beat IU-East 89-77 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Marandet finished the game with 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, helping Spring Arbor improve to 28-7 and advance to the national semifinals for the first time in program history.
The Cougars hadn’t advanced to the round of eight of the 32-team national tournament since 1997.
In three games in the tournament so far, Marandet has tallied 55 points, 26 assists and 11 rebounds.?His performance Saturday upped his season total to 580 points, and his career total to 1,503 points.
Spring Arbor will play fellow Crossroads League school Marian University tonight. Marian punched its ticket to the semifinals with a 105-66 win over Briar Cliff University (Iowa).
Indiana Wesleyan University could have been a third Crossroads League team to make the national semifinals, but the top-seeded and defending national champion Wildcats fell 107-93 to Oregon Tech Saturday.
Sophomore standout Kyle Mangas, a 2017 Warsaw grad and three-year starter for the Tigers, scored 24 points and grabbed four rebounds for the Wildcats, who finished the season 30-6.
During his freshman season at IWU, Mangas was the MVP of the national tournament and led the Wildcats to their second title in three seasons.
In three games at the tournament this season, Mangas tallied 71 points and six rebounds.
He finished his sophomore season with 801 points and upped his career total to 1,619 points in 72 collegiate games.
Oregon Tech will play College of Idaho in tonight’s other semifinal.
The national championship game is scheduled for Tuesday night.
