�Ļ�ӰԺ

Behind the play of All-American Chris Clark, the men’s basketball team advanced to the fifth Elite Eight in �Ļ�ӰԺ history at the 2002 NAIA National Tournament in March.

Despite entering their 13th NAIA National Tournament as an at-large team, the 2001-02 �Ļ�ӰԺ men’s basketball team felt optimistic about their chances in the playoffs. A 13-game mid-season winning streak, a regular-season sweep of arch rival and nationally ranked Asuza Pacific and a second place finish in the tough GSAC all pointed toward a good showing for the Warriors in Kansas City.

The team knew, however, that they needed to be ready to play right away, as they faced No. 7 Southern Polytechnic in the first round. Chris Clark and Mitch Pierce led the way for �Ļ�ӰԺ, scoring a combined 46 points to advance to the Sweet 16 for the eighth time in school history.

The second round brought an even stiffer challenge, as �Ļ�ӰԺ matched up against Mountain State University, one of the highest scoring teams in the nation. Precision and patience won out over athleticism, as the Warriors played brilliantly in a nationally televised game to defeat the Cougars and hold them an astonishing 40 points below their scoring average. After leading at halftime by only 9, �Ļ�ӰԺ went on a decisive 27-8 run over Mountain State, beginning with a three-pointer by senior Joe Ortiz and finishing with a slam dunk by junior Will Gulley.

“We knew we were overmatched at every position,” junior point guard Adrian Phillips said. “We knew this would have to be a collaborative effort.”

The blowout victory turned heads across the nation and �Ļ�ӰԺ, with its savvy Princeton offense, became the unofficial home team of the tournament and the fans in Kansas City.

In the Elite Eight, �Ļ�ӰԺ’s fifth in school history, the Warriors faced Barat College, and tried to pull off their third upset in four days. After trailing 37-34 at halftime, �Ļ�ӰԺ put together a strong run to take a 51-40 lead. From that point, the game was back and forth, with Barat eventually pulling out a 91-79 victory. �Ļ�ӰԺ ended their season 22-10.

Junior Clark was named to the NAIA All-American second team, just the seventh player in �Ļ�ӰԺ’s history to earn NAIA All-American honors. He led the GSAC in scoring and is ninth all-time at �Ļ�ӰԺ for his 600 points this year. Fellow junior Pierce was named to the NAIA honorable mention All-American team and was second on the team in scoring and first in rebounds. Both were named to the all-GSAC first team.