CHICAGO – Nate Duhon had 13 points and eight rebounds as Chicago State won its first postseason game in seven years with a 63-55 victory over Texas-Pan American Friday night in the semifinals of the Great West Conference tournament.
The third-seeded Cougars (10-21), who will meet fourth-seeded Houston Baptist in the championship game on Saturday, hadn't won a postseason game since defeating UMKC and IUPUI to advance to the championship of the Mid-Continent Conference tournament in 2006.
Chicago State never trailed Friday, scoring the first seven points of the game and pulling away with a 9-0 run toward the end of the first half. Jamere Dismukes started the spurt with a 3-pointer and finished it with a layup to make the score 25-16 with 1:40 left.
Second-seeded Texas-Pan American (16-16) pulled within 26-22 at halftime, but a 12-4 Cougars run midway through the second half made it 44-32 with 9:15 remaining.
Brandon Provost led the Broncs with 17 points and Aaron Urbanus had 12.
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