During the past several weeks, former Buffalo Gap High School standout Bennett Bowers and his Lancaster Bible basketball teammates experienced the lows and the highs of athletic competition.

A month ago, the Chargers, the regular season champions in the United East, were bounced out of the conference tournament 72-57 in the semifinals by Penn-State Harrisburg – the same PSU-Harrisburg team that Lancaster Bible dominated just days earlier in a 23-point victory in the final game of the regular season.

“At the start of the season, we developed our mission statement and our vision statement,” Bowers said. “Our vision was winning the conference tournament and advancing to at least the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. Losing to a team that we had just beaten by 20 points was extremely disappointing.”

Fast forward one month and that disappointment was replaced by joy when the Chargers defeated Columbia International 82-75 to win the NCCAA Division I National Championship.

The season was quite a ride for Bowers who was playing his first season at LBC after transferring from Milligan.

“Transferring was definitely strenuous,” Bowers said. “I didn’t know what to expect when I entered the portal. I didn’t know what opportunities I might have. I got a call from Coach (Jon) Mack He talked to me about the team culture at Lancaster, the way the program was run, the way the team played.

“I prayed a lot about the decision and, when I visited Lancaster Bible, it was clear God was opening that door for me.”

LBC was looking for a point guard and Bowers was ready for the opportunity.

“Whether it was off the bench or being a starter, I expected a to have a big role,” Bowers said. “I started the season coming off the bench. Then, I was inserted into the starting lineup and made the most of the opportunity.”

The loss in the conference tournament did not end the season for the Chargers

“We were so disappointed with the loss in the conference tournament, but we knew we still had the NCCAA tournament,” Bowers said. “We had a new vision. We said, we can’t win the conference tournament so let’s win a national title. We got back on the court, and we had some great practices. Our preparation was probably the best we had all season.”

After nearly a three-week break, the Chargers lost in the NCCAA Mideast regional to Ohio Christian, 106-87. Despite the loss, LBC received an at-large bid to the eight-team national tournament to be played in Missouri.

Division I in NCCAA features a wide variety of programs. LBC is one of a handful of Division III schools. There are Division II and NAIA programs competing in Division I.

“We were the underdogs,” said Bennett. “We knew we would be playing teams with more athleticism and more size than teams we played in our regular season. But we also had the belief we could play at this level. The emphasis was on playing to our identity.”

That identify is Coach Mack’s patented “Double-Fist” defense.

“We’re going to defend you 94-feet for the entire 40 minutes,” Bowers explained. “We’re going to trap you full-court and we’ll trap in the halfcourt. We want to play fast. Our goal is to speed you up, force turnovers and convert those turnovers into easy shots.”

The stats lend credence to the team’s identity. The team plays fast, ranking 10th in Division III with 90.2 points per game. Turnovers, the Chargers force a lot – 21.2 per game to rank fifth in the nation. Easy shot opportunities? LBC ranked No. 7 in the country in field goal shooting at 49.2 percent.

“A lot of teams only play seven guys. We have a starting nine or 10. We play four to five minutes stretches, depending on the situation, and we sub in and out,” Bowers continued. “We’re going to keep the pressure on with the goal of wearing you down as they game goes on.”

Playing to that identity at the national tournament was a grind. “Playing three games in four days, the way we play, was hard on our bodies,” Bowers admitted.

The Chargers opened the national tournament this past Wednesday by getting past Clinton (S.C.) College 89-87. A day later in the semifinals, LBC outscored Nelson (Ariz.) College, the defending national champion, 97-91 to reach the title game.

After a day off, the Chargers held off NAIA program Columbia International to claim the national crown.

Bowers had one of his best games of the season in the title game, scoring 15 points and making all eight of his free throw attempts. He was 4-of-4 at the line in the final minute to put the finishing touches on the victory.

“We all prepared hard for the national tournament and we had positive attitudes,” said Bowers. “It paid off with a championship.”

The former Gap standout believes the success of the past week can propel the program upward in the coming years.

“Just getting that tournament experience is the biggest thing,” said Bowers. “Knowing you can win three games in four days, knowing you can best quality teams – it gives you a lot of confidence.”

Noted for his shooting ability in high school, Bowers shot the ball at a high clip during his first season at Lancaster Bible. He shot 46.3 percent from the floor, 40.8 percent from 3-point range and 94.3 percent from the foul line. Bowers averaged 5.9 points per game.

While the team enjoyed the vision of winning a national title, the mission of the program is much more important.

“As much as we look forward to our vision of winning championships, we are rooted in our mission which is to use the platform of basketball to glorify God and impact the lives of those who watch us. Through our character, actions and words, we strive to exemplify Christ to all who watch Lancaster Bible play,” Bowers explained.

“We have an amazing balance between chasing a championship and honoring God with the platform he has blessed us with. As much as it is a blessing to win a national championship, impacting lives for the Kingdom is far more valuable.”

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