Point Lookout, Mo.- Top-seeded Walsh (30-2) has advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2006, after holding off the University of Sioux Falls (25-10) 98-90 in a Sweet 16 game at NAIA Division ll Championships being held at the Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of the College of the Ozarks. The win was the 11th straight for the Cavs, their longest win streak of the season. Walsh will play eighth-seeded Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (30-5) for the right to advance to final four tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm (CST). Embry-Riddle defeated Bethel College 67-64 in overtime in the first game of the day.

Point Lookout, Mo.- Top-seeded Walsh (30-2) has advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2006, after holding off the University of Sioux Falls (25-10) 98-90 in a Sweet 16 game at NAIA Division ll Championships being held at the Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of the College of the Ozarks. The win was the 11th straight for the Cavs, their longest win streak of the season. Walsh will play eighth-seeded Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (30-5) for the right to advance to final four tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm (CST). Embry-Riddle defeated Bethel College 67-64 in overtime in the first game of the day.

For the second straight day, Walsh led from start to finish, after vaulting to an 11-0 lead. The Cavs would lead by as many 14 points, at 27-13, with 10:37 left in the first half. USF would close to 27-22 at the 7:31 mark, but trailed the Cavs 44-36 at half. Ricky Jackson and Jeremy Shardo paced the Cavs in the first half with 17 and 10 points respectively. USF guard Matt Malloy shot the Cougars back into the game with 14 first half points.

USF would close the Walsh lead to 44-40 and 46-44, before tying the game for the first time at 48 on Malloy jumper in the paint with 15:53 to play.

Walsh answered the charge, as Shardo and Lamar Skeeter hit back-to-back to give the Cavs the lead for good at 54-48 with 15:16 to play. The lead would fluctuate between five and ten points the next ten minutes, with Walsh holding a 79-68 lead with 3:39 to play. Walsh, who went to the line a staggering 49 times, would hit 10-of-16 down the stretch to hold off the Cougars, who closed to within 93-88 with 32 seconds to play.

Jackson paced the Cavs with 28 points and 12 rebounds. He connected on 8-17 from the field and 12-13 from the line. He had plenty of help, as Lamar Skeeter scored 18 second half points to finish with 25. Shardo added 21 points and Brandon Speck added 13 off the bench. Walsh shot just 40% from the field on 26-65, but did connect on 39-49 from the line (80%).

Sioux Falls shot 49% from the field and received a 30-point effort from Matt Malloy. Thomas Frames added 15 points, Ronnell Grant 11 and Cedric Seedfeldt and David Maxwell each had ten.

"We played better defense early on, rather than late, which helped us get the early lead," said Walsh's Jeff Young. "The teams are all good out here, you're not going to blow teams out in the second round."

Shardo's and Skeeter's back-to-back three's were a key. "That was big, they had the momentum on their side,: exclaimed Young. "I told our guys at halftime, it's going to be a game of runs, and you have to be able to battle back. We're happy to escape with the win."