It took awhile, but it was worth all 110 years of waiting. The Western Washington Vikings won their first national championship ever in the history of its program at the Bank of Kentucky Center in Highlands Heights, KY on Saturday afternoon. Head Coach Brad Jackson and the Vikings beat the Montevallo Falcons 72-65 behind a balanced scoring attack and solid defense to win the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship.
A contested three-pointer make from junior Paul Jones at the 6:19 mark in the second half gave the Vikings a commanding 12-point lead, their largest of the game. However, the Falcons fought back and cut Western's lead to four points with 58 seconds remaining in the game. The Vikings held their composure defensively, holding Montevallo to one point in the final minute of play.
Five different players scored in double digits for the Vikings, with junior guard John Allen leading his team with 14 points. Western Washington benefited from its hot shooting from beyond the arc. The Vikings were nine-for-19 from beyond the arc.
Standout senior guard DJ Rivera led Montevallo with a game-high 20 points. The Falcons struggled all game long to get quality shots. The Vikings held Montevallo to 37.5 percent shooting.