HUTCHINSON, KS – A team-effort has been the name of the game for the 2023-24 Walters State men's basketball team, and that continued to be the trend on Sunday morning.

Taking on 16th-seeded Daytona State in the opening round of the NJCAA DI Tournament, 17th-seeded Walters State needed every single player that stepped on the floor at Hutchinson Sports Arena. That teamwork led to an 85-82 opening round victory over the Falcons. 

With the win, Walters State improved to 29-2 on the season. It's the second-most wins in program history, only behind the 2007-08 Senators who won 32 games. 

Sunday's NJCAA Tournament victory is the first for Walters State since 2010. The Senators are the first TCCAA school to win a tournament game since Cleveland State in 2019.

Ramondo Battle was practically unstoppable to lead the way for Walters State on Sunday. Battle finished with 26 points on 9-17 shooting and pulled in six rebounds. 

However, it wasn't just Battle who put in work for Walters State. JR Jacobs was his normal self with 12 points and seven assists, while Jamar Livingston shot 4-6 and had 13 points. Jair Horton finished with a near double-double with 12 points and eight rebounds, and so did Micah Simpson with nine points and seven rebounds. 

Contributors off the bench for Walters State were Jaylen Wharton with seven points, Greg Moore with four points and Charvez Ambrose with two points. 

As a team, Walters State shot 31-65 (47.7%) from the field and made 17-25 free throws. 

Along with that offensive effort, Walters State held one of the best offenses in the country to well-below their scoring average. Daytona State shot just 41.9% from the field and 23.8% from 3-point range. Walters State forced 16 turnovers and scored 24 points off of them. 

There were no signs of nerves to start for Walters State, as Battle knocked in back-to-back 3-pointers in the opening minute to give Walters State a 6-2 lead. Daytona State settled in and took a lead at 13-7, but Wharton converted an and-one and scored again to keep the Senators in the game at the 12-minute mark of the opening half.

The score was 18-12 in favor of Daytona State a minute later, but that's when Walters State took control. Battle started it with five straight points to cut the lead to one, and Horton made two free throws that gave Walters State the lead. Daytona missed a three on the other end, and Simpson drove in for a basket to get the lead to three. Livingston got a steal right after and scored, forcing a Daytona State timeout with Walters State up 23-18.

Daytona State broke the 11-0 run with a basket out of the timeout, but Livingston drilled a three in the corner and was fouled, making the free throw to give Walters State a 27-20 advantage. Daytona State answered with a three, but Jacobs scored and Battle knocked in three straight to make it 32-23. The two teams traded buckets after, and Moore knocked in a layup that got the Senators lead to 11. 

However, Daytona State recovered and went on a 14-0 run to take a 39-36 lead. Simpson broke the drought with a three that tied the game with 1:53 to go in the half. The two teams traded points from there, and Daytona led 42-41 at the half. 

Battle had 14 points in the opening half, while the Senators shot 43% as a team. 

The second half started like the first, as Battle scored Walters State's first nine points and gave the Senators a 50-46 lead. The two teams traded points after, but Horton made a layup and Jacobs drilled a three to get the lead to 57-48. 

Once again, Daytona State would not go away and tied the game at 65 with 8:38 to go. The two teams swapped the lead after, but Horton converted a three-point play and Battle made two free throws that made it 70-66 with 6:49 to go.

Horton scored again to up the lead, and Livingston scored five straight to make it 77-69. The lead was 79-69 after a basket by Jacobs with 4:14 to go. Daytona State hung around and got the score to 79-75 with 2:16 to go, but Jacobs scored three straight to get the lead back to seven. 

With 1:10 to go, Daytona State made their final push with four quick points that cut the lead to three. Simpson hit a free throw with 22 seconds left, and the Senators got a stop on the other end with seven seconds to go. Battle was sent to the line, splitting a pair of free throws that made it 84-79. 

Daytona State hit one final 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to go and forced a Senators turnover on the inbounds pass. However, Simpson read Daytona State's ensuing inbounds play perfectly and stole the ball. Simpson hit a free throw with 0.8 seconds left that made it 85-82, and that was the final.

The Senators defense was on full-display in the second half, holding Daytona State to 12-34 from the field and 1-9 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Walters State shot 53.3% from the field. 

Up Next:

Walters State has a quick turnaround, taking on No. 1 Barton (KS) on Monday in the NJCAA DI Tournament Second Round. Tip is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics