Men's Basketball National Champions!

Hutchinson, Kan. - The 2021 Coffeyville Community College Red Ravens Men's Basketball Team are National Champions!  The Red Ravens defeated the Tigers of Cowley College in the NJCAA Men's Division I Championship game 108-99.  Coffeyville ends their Championship season with an overall record of 27-3.

Coffeyville and Cowley were no strangers to each other heading into the NJCAA title game.  Each team had lost on the other's home court during their conference season.  The teams shared the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) East title this year.  So of course it came down to the NJCAA Championship game as the rubber match.

Coffeyville set the tone in this one midway through the first half.  With the score tied at 15-15 at the 13:52 mark of the first, Coffeyville would go on a 24-6 run over the next six minutes that left Cowley defensive and playing catchup for the rest of the game.  The Ravens would go on to finish off the first half and move into halftime with a 60-40 halftime lead.

Coffeyville came out of halftime and pushed their lead out to 64-40 within a minute of second-half play. However, old KJCCC foe Cowley was not just going to roll over and give the title to the Ravens.  For those that know KJCCC basketball this year, Cowley can score points in bunches.  Cowley started to slowly chip away at the Ravens' lead as the game slowly wound down.  At the 10:00 to go, Coffeyville was still up somewhat comfortably 79-65. 

Cowley was inching closer. 

A made Cowley three-pointer at the 3:14 mark to go pulled Cowley within 8 points at 99-91.  After some Cowley made free throws, Cowley was able to pull within five points at 100-95 at the 2:00 mark. 

Cowley was inching closer. 

The Coffeyville fans in the arena were breaking out into a full-on sweat after a couple of made free throws pulled Cowley within three points 102-99 at the 1:13 mark to go.  However, Coffeyville was able to pull back out of reach as Raven sophomore guard Tylor Perry connected on a couple of free throws at 18 seconds remaining to push the score out to 104-99. 

A turnover by Cowley on the ensuing possession combined with a Cowley foul had Raven freshman guard Love Bettis also connecting on two free throws to extend the Raven lead further out to 106-99.  The game ended on a missed Cowley three-pointer which Coffeyville's freshman center Hayden Brittingham rebounded and then outletted to sophomore Larry White who put down a dunking exclamation point on the game.  The 108-99 victory was Coffeyville's.

Coffeyville for the game shot lights out, shooting an outstanding 56% from the field including a smoking 63% in the first half.  The stat "points in the paint" was glaring for Coffeyville with the Ravens doubling up Cowley 72-36 on the inside.

This National Championship is the tenth overall for Coffeyville Community College and the second for the men's basketball program.  Coffeyville Men's basketball also won the title in 1962.  For Coffeyville's head coach Jay Herkelman, he is now 1-1 in National Championships games.  His 2002 Red Raven team lost in the title game to Dixie State College of Utah by one point.

An astonishing seven Red Ravens scored in double figures in the Championship game including all five starters.  Red Raven freshman center Blaise Keith was the star in the title game going for a career-high 27 points on 13-16 shooting.  Rounding out the double-figure scorers for Coffeyville included Tylor Perry with 18 points, redshirt sophomore guard Kevaughn Ellis with 14 points, Love Bettis and sophomore forward Bostyn Holt each had 12 points and Larry White and redshirt freshman Markeith Ellis each had 11 points.

The NJCAA Men's Division I All-Tournament Team included multiple players from Coffeyville.  Love Bettis and Blaise Keita were named to the All-Tournament team as well as Tylor Perry's spectacular player earning him the Tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.  Red Raven Hall of Fame Head Coach Jay Herkelman was named the Tournament Coach of the Year. 

 
                 Blaise Keita - NJCAA All-Tournament Team                                     Love Bettis - NJCAA All-Tournament Team

 
       Tylor Perry - NJCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player                       Jay Herkelman - NJCAA Tournament Coach of the Year