OMAHA, NE. (NewsDakota.com) – For the second time in three years the University of Jamestown has advanced to the Round of 16 in the NAIA National Tournament as they defeated #3 LSU-Shreveport 87-75 in the Omaha B bracket.

How bout those Jimmies! pic.twitter.com/Gqd87hqjpy

— UJ Jimmies Golf (@uj_jimmiesgolf) March 13, 2021

The Pilots (16-2) grabbed an early lead but Jamestown quickly stormed back in front in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Jimmies took a 38-30 advantage into the halftime break and never relinquished the lead to advance in the NAIA tournament.

Cole Woodford had a career day from the field, scoring 20 points on 6-10 shooting. The freshman also went 5-7 at the line and dished out four assists. Jamestown’s Mason Walters grabbed his NAIA leading 22nd double-double of the year, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Brady Birch had another big game underneath for the Jimmies, scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds. He finishes the opening rounds of the tournament a perfect 11-11 at the line.

Two other Jimmies scored double figures during the afternoon, with Marc Kjos contributing 15 points and four assists, and Will Cordes putting in 12. As a team, the Jimmies combined to shoot 53% from the floor and 18-24 at the free throw line.

Jamestown improves to 21-8 overall on the year and now advances into the Round of 16 in the national tournament. The Jimmies lost in the Round of 16 back in 2019 to eventual champion Spring Arbor but will have to wait for the rest of the games to conclude this weekend to see who they face next week. The tournament continues on March 18th in Kansas City and runs until the 23rd.