As father and son - coach Ken and Scott Murray - embraced, the rest of the euphoric club howelled, and the Niagara fans who made the drive to Ottawa stormed the court, it became incredibly clear; the Brock University Badgers had just proven themselves the greatest university basketball team in all of Canada.

In a thrilling match-up with the Raven-slaying Acadia Axemen on Sunday, the Badgers pounded away all game long to come out victorious 64-61.

And just as their team had made their mark from behind the arc, the Badgers once again three-balled their way to victory.

In the last game of guard Mike Kemp’s career he bombed an outstanding three triples to give him a game-leading 23 points.

Although the Badgers percentage from three-point land was far from impressive (28.1%), the fact that they came away with nine makes on a night when points were hard to come by is enough to tell the story.

Outstanding forward and tournament MVP Owen White chipped in with 12 points in the paint for Brock.

When Acadia guard Paulo Santa, who finished the contest with 18 points, reeled off the first five points in the fourth quarter to break what was a 50-50 tie at the break, the Badgers found themselves playing catch up.

Luckily for the Badgers some grit and determination from All-Canadian Brad Rootes helped pave the way for a pair of Kemp threes and another from fifth-year guard, third-year Badger Rohan Steen.

“It was the best decision of my life, baby” screamed a fired up Steen immediately after the game when asked about his decision to return to Brock after two years at York. “Best decision of my life!”

With the game knotted at 60, however, it was another Badger altogether who - with frost in veins - nailed a tie-breaking jumper from just outside the paint with 1:45 remaining.

Dusty Bianchin, another fifth-year player who returned for the sole reason of winning a national championship, came through where he came up short just two weeks ago in the Ontario quarter-finals against Western.

Bianchin was criticized for his inability to hit his customary 18-foot jumper from just beyond the free-throw line.

But just as he hit his trademark J all year long, Bianchin’s stroke returned right when the Badgers needed it most.

After a single free throw make from Acadia forward Shawn Berry, the Badgers committed a loose ball foul. Flashbacks of Saturday’s Acadia heroics ran rampant when the Axemen took possession of the ball with 52 seconds remaining.

But leave it to the All-Canadian to bail his Badgers out. In what would also be his last game as a Badger, point guard Rootes hit the deck hard to come up with a loose ball steal ensuring that the Badgers would retake possession.

And with 11.7 seconds remaining on the clock Bianchin struck again, with the same shot he hit just minutes before, giving Brock the three-point lead that they would hold on to until the final buzzer sounded.

The win gives Brock University their first national championship since 1992 and will forever be remembered as the year the graduating Niagara boys (Rootes, Murray, Kemp, Bianchin, Steen and Mike Muir), who had played together since elementary school, brought the championship back home.