Hutchinson, Kansas- DJ Dormu had three of his game-high 16 points from 35 feet away at the buzzer to push Connors State past top-seeded Snow College 63-62 in second round of the NJCAA Division I basketball championship tournament Monday.
Dormu took the inbounds pass at free-throw line, dribbled down the right side of the court, moved to the center of the court and launched his shot just before the buzzer.
As the shot was on its way, the buzzer sounded as the shot went in and the Cowboys' bench erupted.
Snow College's Mark Brown Jr. hit two free throws to give the Badgers a 62-60 lead with 5.4 seconds left.
Cowboy Big Man Edwin Daniel, a 6-foot-9 sophomore center from the Bronx, N.Y., put Connors State on his back against Snow College. He finished with 13 points, 18 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.
Dormu led all scorers with 16 points, including three 3-pointers. Aric Walls added 13 points and Kevin Stubblefield Jr. 11.
This is the second year in a row that Connors State has reached the NJCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Connors defeated another Utah team, Salt Lake, in the second round last year. Cowboys' coach Bill Muse posted his 801st career victory.
"It feels good to be back in the Elite Eight," Muse said during a postgame interview on ESPN+ and Youtube. "Man, I am proud of our guys."
Muse, who has been named the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year 11 times during his 25 seasons at Connors State, complimented the effort of Daniel.
"Edwin has been really good for us this year," said Muse, noting that Daniel had a 22-rebound effort in the year. "He works very hard. When the lights get brighter (in the big games), he's at his best."
Connors State (30-3), snapped Snow College's 25-game winning streak and sent the Badgers back to Ephraim, Utah, with a 32-2 record. In an Elite Eight quarterfinal game at noon Wednesday, Connors State will play Daytona State College.