The Cardinals brought home Otterbein’s first national championship in a team sport defeating Carthage,70-66, in the semifinals and Elizabethtown, 102-83, in the final to capture the 2002 NCAA Division III championship played in Salem, Va. Led by senior shooting guard Kevin Shay and senior forward Jeff Gibbs, the team finished the season at 30-3, tying the school record for most wins—a fact made all the more remarkable since Otterbein started a freshman, Tony Borghese, at the point guard position. Those three players combined for 75 points in the championship game. Shay, who led all scorers in the final with 29 points, and Gibbs, with 25 points and 25 rebounds, were named to the all-tournament team. Gibbs was selected the most outstanding player of the tournament, setting two Final Four records for most rebounds in a game (25) and a series (40).