The host Cavaliers (27-3), who were the top seed in the AMC Tournament and extended their winning streaks to 15 straight overall and 21 in a row at home, jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead behind a tip-in by Kyelce Cescato, a three-pointer by Jeremy Shardo, and a three-point play by L.J. Sutton.

After the No. 2 seed Cougars (23-8) pulled within 12-10 on a three-pointer by senior guard Dan Borcherdt (left) at the 14:41 mark, baskets by Cescato and Jeremy Shardo pushed Walsh’s lead out to 16-10 with 13:38 to go before the break.

With the Cavaliers leading 20-14, MVNU used a 19-5 run to take a 33-25 advantage with 5:02 left in the half. Senior guard Ben Falkenberg and senior forward Jadin Thomas both scored five points during the comeback, while junior post Bryce Sanborn made a pair of baskets.

Walsh answered with a 16-4 run of its own to move back in front 41-37 before settling for a 41-39 halftime lead. Joe Shardo drilled a pair of treys for six points, and Jeremy Shardo added five points.

Sanborn paced the Cougars with 10 points and nine rebounds in the first half as he went 5-for-5. Thomas added nine points, while Falkenberg tossed in eight points. MVNU shot 50.0 percent from the field (15-for-30), 45.5 percent from three-point range (5-for-11), and 80.0 percent from the free throw line (4-for-5).

Joe Shardo led the Cavaliers with 12 points in the first half, while Jeremy Shardo, Brandon Speck, and Cescato added eight points apiece. Walsh shot 53.1 percent from the field (17-for-32), 35.7 percent from three-point range (5-for-14), and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (2-for-3).

The Cavaliers expanded their lead to 58-49 with less than five minutes gone by in the second half as Jeremy Shardo scored 12 quick points to fuel a quick 17-10 run.

A three-point play and a three-pointer by Falkenberg closed the gap to 58-55 with 14:13 to play, and the Cougars were still within 64-60 with 12:32 to play after Falkenberg hit two free throws.

Two treys by Speck pushed the lead back out to 70-60 at the 10:57 mark, and the lead grew to 86-74 with 4:45 left as Joe Shardo nailed a trio of three-pointers and Speck hit a three-pointer.

MVNU continued to battled and closed the gap to 88-81 with 3:19 to go as senior guard Dan Borcherdt made a pair of free throws and hit a three-pointer to keep the Cougars in contention.

However, Walsh closed the game on 9-4 run as the Cougars had their 11-game winning streak snapped with the 97-85 victory as the Cavaliers secured their automatic berth into the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Branson, Missouri.

“We did not bring the kind of defensive effort that we needed tonight, but Walsh shot the ball extremely well,” said MVNU coach Scott Flemming. “We would have several good defensive possessions, but every time we made a mistake they would make us pay. The Shardo brothers are the real deal. They can hurt you in so many different ways.”

Falkenberg finished with 21 points to lead the Cougars, while Sanborn (right) scored a career-high 16 points on 8-for-8 shooting from the field to go along with 10 rebounds. Thomas and Borcherdt also tossed in 16 points apiece. MVNU shot 50.0 percent from the field (31-for-62), 33.3 percent from three-point range (9-for-27), and 82.4 percent from the free throw line.”

“Bryce had another solid game,” said Flemming. “He is really stepping up his game at the right time. The great thing is that we are not done. Our great season has given us the opportunity to go to the (NAIA) national tournament and compete for a national championship.”

Joe Shardo led all scorers with 31 points for Walsh. Jeremy Shardo added 23 points and 12 assists to set the Cavaliers’ single-season assist mark at 247 assists, while Speck finished with 19 points as he set the school’s three-point record with the 98 treys this year. Cescato also posted a double-double with 14 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Walsh shot 57.4 percent from the field (35-for-61), 55.6 percent from three-point range (15-for-27), and 85.7 percent from the free throw line (12-for-14).

The Cougars will now wait for the official word on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. CST as to their at-large berth status into the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Branson. The final poll of the year and the 32 tournament qualifiers will be announced at that time. The tournament bracket will come out on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. CST.