In only their third season of play, the Running Eagles basketball team of Life College of Chiropractic reached the championship round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament, a Division I postseason tradition.
This year's tournament, held at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, saw Life defeat: Oklahoma Christian (78-73); Westmont (85-65); a quarter-final victory over Hawaii Pacific (96-79); and a semi-final win over Midwestern St., Texas (85-67), the last two nationally televised by ESPN. The unseeded Eagles advanced to the Monday night (March 21) championship against the Oklahoma City Chiefs, again cover by ESPN.
"Isn't it amazing?" said Roger Kaiser, Life College's athletic director and head basketball coach, "little Life College in the national championship game."
Amazing is the word, considering that the Running Eagles only had one starter returning from last year's squad that reached the NAIA second round. Going into this year's tournament, the Eagles had won 10 games in-a-row but were seemingly too small in the low post positions to compete with the bigger centers and forwards (Life's Harris and Sweeting are 6-6). Relying on quickness, defense and hustle, the Eagles charged into the finals with an impressive win over Midwestern St., a team with a front line that stood 6-10, 6-9, and 6-8.
Going into the Monday night finale against fifth seeded Oklahoma City (27-7), a team that won back-to-back NAIA titles in '91, '92, Life faced 6-11 center Willie Kelley, a pair of 6-9 forwards, and All-American guard Kevin Franklin.
At half time, Life was down by only eight, but the size and power of Oklahoma City and the scoring of Kevin Franklin (30 points), were just too much to overcome. The Chiefs went on a tear midway in the second half, outscoring the Eagles 23-5.
The Eagle's season, by any measure, was outstanding. The success of the program goes to Life's desire to compete at the Division I level, and Coach Roger Kaiser, guiding the Eagles these last three years to an impressive 86-21 record. Coach Kaiser, who coached 20 years at West Georgia College, reached a milestone in January by recording 450 career wins. He was named "Coach of the Year" by the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and inducted into its Hall of Fame.
"I never dreamed this team would even come this close," said Kaiser.
"He embodies the characteristics that each of us should strive for: strength, compassion, and ambition," said Sid Williams, of Coach Kaiser.
The fact that Life is a chiropractic college was not lost on the TV announcers. They talked about the adjustment one of them enjoyed from Life's team chiropractor earlier in the day.
