SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (March 7, 2018) â€" Sophomores Daxton Bostian and Desean Green led the Milligan College men's basketball team in their final game of the season in the opening round of the NAIA DII Men's Basketball National Championship in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Wednesday evening. The Buffs fell to No. 2 seeded Cornerstone University 88-68. Milligan ended their 2017-2018 season with an overall record of 15-14.

Bostian led with 18 points while Green followed with 16 points.

CU GETS OUT FRONT EARLY
Right off the bat the Golden Eagles drained a three-pointer in the first minute of the game. Though Milligan responded with a basket in the paint, Cornerstone held the Buffs at two points while they pushed to double-digits (10-2). From then on it was only up from there. The Golden Eagles led by 15 points (18-3) with 11 minutes remaining in the first half and then by as much as 24 points with 4:29 to go. The Buffs fought to minimize the deficit but the teams were sent into the locker room with a 19-point game (40-21, Cornerstone).

SECOND HALF DEFEAT
It wasn't until three minutes into the second half that the Buffs scored due to the Golden Eagles' stellar defense. With 10 minutes to go in the game, Cornerstone led by as much as 31 points. Milligan brought the deficit down to 18 points with two minutes to go but it proved not enough as the Golden Eagles secured their victory over the Buffs.

Milligan shot 34.3% from the field in comparison to Cornerstone's 61.4% while the Buffs were outrebounded, 45-27, which ultimately proved to be the difference.

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Following Bostian and Green was senior David Casaday with 14 points and Aaron Levarity with 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Levarity broke the Milligan record for most rebounds in a season in the Buffs' previous game against Truett-McConnell University recording 351 total rebounds. The school record trumped by Levarity was set in the 1998-99 season (348). The new record set by Levarity after today's game for most rebounds in a season is 357.

Cornerstone also had four players enter into the double-digit scoring column led by Riley Costen with 18 points, and Kyle Steigenga and Michael Bradshaw with 15 apiece. Steigenga also led with 14 rebounds while Costen led with five assists.