Ottawa University battled back to a five-point deficit with three minutes to play, but couldn't get over the hump as the Bethel Pilots held on for an 86-81 win over the Braves in the second round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament. OU found itself down by double digits early on and trailed by a dozen at halftime. The Braves then slowly chipped away at the Bethel lead on the strength of defense and a revived three-point attack. But the Pilots had just enough answers for all OU rallies as they move on to Saturday's quarterfinals. KCAC Player of the Year, David Birch, led the Braves in scoring with 28 points, 18 of which were logged in the first half. OU's Clint Brightman and Phil McClintock also finished in double figures with 14 and 13 points, respectively. William Walker was tops for the Pilots as he recorded 25 points and hauled in nine rebounds. With the loss, the Braves close out the 2007-08 season with an overall mark of 24-9.

An enthusiastic crowd, which included OU President Fred Zook, gathered at Wilson Field House to welcome the team home and to congratulate them for a very successful season(above).