POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. - CIU men's basketball held off an upset-minded No. 5 seeded Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 67-65 in the NCCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship semifinal Thursday night. The win puts the Rams in the NCCAA title game for the first time in the program's history. The men's basketball program will try to become the fourth athletic program at CIU to win an NCCAA title. The Rams now hold a 22-7 overall record on the season after the semifinal victory.

Thursday evening saw the Rams hold a lead throughout the first half; however, the Trojans managed to pull ahead 31-20 with 1:13 left in the frame. HLGU held onto the lead in the intermission, clinging to a 35-30 advantage.

The Trojans led by as much as eight in the second half, but CIU steadily chipped away. The Rams would take their first lead of the second half at the 4:23 mark on Jaylon Jeter's jumper to go up 57-56. CIU extended the lead to 63-60 (2:14) after a James Davis steal led to a Jeffrey Clark, II layin. Then, trailing by two (67-65) with six seconds left, the Trojans would turn it over as a Reid Warga steal sealed the game for CIU.

Christian Howard was the only Ram in double-figures, scoring 16 points; Whysong and Warga each scored nine as Whysong pulled down seven rebounds.

Brandon Hunt posted eight points for CIU, draining two clutch second-half three-pointers.

Up Next: CIU will face the winner of Ohio Christian and Nelson (Ariz.) in the title game slated for Saturday, Mar. 22 at 5:00 p.m. CT.