WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Tournament MVP Zimmy Nwogbo scored 21 points and the Yellow Jacket defense rose to the occasion to defeat Emmanuel, 74-56, and give Cedarville its first NCCAA Division I men's basketball championship.

The third time was the charm for CU in the title game. The Jackets were the runner-up in both 1988 and 1990.

Cedarville sprinted out of the blocks to a 14-4 lead and retained control the rest of the way. The difference grew to as much as 17 points in the opening period and Zach Brown's driving lay-up just before the halftime buzzer placed the score at 43-28.

The Yellow Jackets pushed the lead out to 20 points early in the second half and the Lions never threatened the rest of the way.

Nwogbo, who was later named to the NCCAA All-America Second Team, scored 17 of his points in the first half which featured three dunks. All-tournament team member Austin Foote netted 14 points while Brown added 12 points and five assists.

Cedarville shots 61.5 percent in the first half and a 55.6 accuracy for the game. The Jackets held the Lions, 21-16, to 40.4 percent.

CU ends the campaign with an overall record of 23-9. Coach Pat Estepp's club claimed their three NCCAA national tournament games by an average of 18.7 points per contest.

The Yellow Jackets won their last four games in a row, six of their last seven, and 13 of the final 15. They were 16-3 since Jan. 1.

STATS  ♦  NCCAA TOURNAMENT INFO  ♦  JEFF RYAN PHOTO GALLERY