INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team led 55-37 with less than nine minutes to be play and appeared to have the Midwest Regional Championship locked up but it ended up having to hang on for a 62-60 win on Tuesday evening to win the program's second NCAA Regional title at Nicoson Hall in Indianapolis.

The Tritons (24-10) advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight next week in Evansville, Ind. Opponent and game time will be announced on Wednesday after the bracket is reseeded.

The game was back-and-forth early as Isaiah Fuller and McKendree's (20-13) Bryson Bultman answered each other shot-for-shot over the first 10 minutes of the contest.

It was tied at 16 after a jumper from Bultman with 10:41 left in the opening half. UMSL scored 12 of the next 18 points to build a 28-22 lead after two free throws from Victor Nwagbaraocha with 4:20 left in the frame.

The Bearcats closed to within two a minute later, but the Tritons finished the half scoring six of the final eight points to take a 34-28 lead into the locker room at the break.

McKendree scored the first bucket of the second half on a dunk by Caleb Zurliene but UMSL went on a 16-2 run over the next seven-plus minutes to grab its largest lead of the contest at 50-32 after a three-point play from Nwagbaraocha.

UMSL still led by 18 with under nine minutes to go when the Bearcats got hot and began to turn up the pressure as they scored nine of their next 10 possessions to come back and tie the game at 57
after two free throws from Bultman with less than three minutes to play.

The Tritons regained the lead on its next possession as Nwagbaraocha hit a jumper in the paint.

Neither scored for the next 1:45 until Bultman tied the game with two free throws with 0:43 seconds to go.

UMSL called a play for Janeir Harris but instead he found a cutting Fuller and he scored to put the Tritons ahead 61-59 with 0:20 left.

McKendree used their final timeout and Bultman was fouled by Nwagbaraocha with 0:10 left. Bultman missed the first free throw but made the second to cut UMSL's lead to 61-60.

Fuller was fouled immediately after the inbounds pass but missed one of two at the foul line to make it a two-point game with 0:08 remaining.

The Bearcats got the ball ahead to Zurliene for a game-winning three but his shot at the buzzer was off the mark triggering the celebration for the Tritons.

UMSL finished the game shooting 42 percent (24-for-47) from the field in the contest, were 2-of-15 from three and shot 67 percent at the foul line. Fuller finished with a game-high 27 points and was named the Midwest Regional Most Valuable Player. Nwagbaraocha added 14 points and was also named to the All-Tournament team.

The Bearcats shot 41 percent (21-for-51) from the floor in the game including 5-of-19 from three and shot 77 percent at the foul line. Bultman led McKendree with 22 points while Milos Vicentic finished with 19 points. Bultman and Vicentic were also named to the All-Tournament team.