The Road to Hartman concluded on Monday night as the Eagles traveled to the KCAC championship final. The top-seeded OKWU squad faced down the 2-seeded Bethel Threshers. The two teams split the regular season series, with each game being tightly contested. In the final, the Eagles used a strong shooting performance and physical defense to claim the 81-68 victory and secure  the KCAC Tournament Championship.

Recap:

• KCAC Player of the Year Jaylon Scott of Bethel opened the game with a 3-pointer, but the OKWU defense would tighten their grip and hold Scott to just 5 more points in the game.
• For the game's first 9 minutes neither team was able to take control. At the 10:36 mark, the Eagles began what became an 8-0 run over the next several minutes of action.
• A made 3-pointer by Kaleb Stokes at the 6:44 mark grew the OKWU lead to 12.
• OKWU led by as many as 15 in the first half and would go into the break with a 42-31 lead.
• OKWU opened the second half with a strong push that saw them expand the lead to 17, but Bethel refused to go away quietly. A 10-1 run cut OKWU's lead to 49-41 by the 13:38 mark in the second half.
• However, each time Bethel would cut into the lead, OKWU responded, fending off the feisty comeback attempt. At the 9:40 mark Bethel hit a pair of free throws to make it a 5-point game, but a couple of possessions later the steadying hand of Brandon Bird hit a shot, drew the foul, and nailed the foul shot for a 3-point play.
• Bethel cut it to a 4-point lead, 69-63 with 3:37 to go. OKWU saved their best for last, as they would end the game on a 12-5 run. Jaden Lietzke scored 8 of those points for the Eagles as they secured the win.

Now the Numbers:

• OKWU shot 58% from the field for the game, while their defense allowed just 32.7% shooting from Bethel.
• The Threshers struggled to rebound against the size of OKWU, as the Eagles won that battle 41-27 for the game.
• Bethel managed just 10 points in the paint, while OKWU attacked the rim for 36 points in the contest.
• Jaden Lietzke had one of his best performances of the season, going 9-9 from the field for 21 points to go along with 9 boards and 3 blocks.
• Brandon Bird was a key offensive contributor for the Eagles, adding 18 points. Derrick Talton Jr. added 13 points and had 7 assists, while Kaleb Stokes came off the bench to give the Eagles 13 points.