Luke Nelson Guides UC Irvine to First NCAA Tournament Appearance with Big West Championship
Sophomore guard Luke Nelson scored a game-high 17 points to lead UC Irvine to the Big West Championship as they booked their spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the school’s history.
Nelson shot 6-11 from the field in the 67-58 victory over Hawai’i and was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 15 points per game. The former Reading Rockets guard connected with his first 3-pointer on his fifth attempt at a crucial time in the final minute to seal the win.
NCAA tourney look out!!! #BigWestChamps
— Luke Nelson (@LukeNelson95_6) March 15, 2015
GB under-20 team-mate Alex Young contributed 10 points and also dished out four assists as the Anteaters claimed the Conference Championship in front of nearly 5,500 spectators at the Honda Centre last night.
It's time to dance!! #makinghistory
— Alex Young (@alexyng1) March 15, 2015
UCI had previously fallen short in their quest to reach the NCAA D1 Tournament on four occasions after losing Championship games in 1988, 1994, 2008 and 2013. They will learn their fate during the NCAA Selection Show as the field gets announced.
Image credit: UCI
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