NICEVILLE, Fla. - Chipola College defeated Daytona State College, 76-69, to win the FCSAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

With the win, the Indians earned the FCSAA's hotly-contested automatic bid to the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship in Hutchinson, Kan.

The Falcons, meanwhile, join a host of FCSAA schools who hope to hear their name called as an at-large entry when the 24-team bracket is released on Monday. 

After a slow start by both teams, Chipola was the first to heat up. A 15-0 run, capped by a Peyton Wiggins three-point play, gave the Indians a 23-8 lead at the 9:47 mark of the first half. Daytona State finally hit double-digits on Alex Harper's three just under one minute later, as the Falcons gradually crawled back into the game. 

Daytona State scored the final six points of the half to pull within 11 (37-26) at the intermission. 

The Falcons continued to surge out of the break and took their first lead, 46-45, on a basket by Tyrese Lacey with 13:09 left in the game, igniting a see-saw battle down the stretch. 

With the game tied at 60, Demarco Middleton's three put Chipola in front for good with 4:17 left, although the outcome was hanging in the balance as the game entered the final minute. 

Clinging to a 70-67 lead, the Indians broke the Falcons' press for a transition basket, got a pair of free throws from Wiggins then a game-sealing dunk by the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Hedrens Bartelus to close the scoring.

Bartelus finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Wiggins, who had 19 points, and Desmond Kent, Jr.

Daytona State's Noah Mendy scored 24 of his 26 points in the second half and led a trio of Falcons on the All-Tournament Team, alongside Lacey and Adrian Shackleton.  

Other members of the All-Tournament Team were: Justin Burns and D.J. Shine of Northwest Florida State College; Trent Lincoln, Iyran Francis and Devontes Cobbs of Gulf Coast State College; and Anthony Breland of Miami Dade College.

Chipola's Donnie Tyndall received the FCSAA DI Men's Basketball Coach of the Year Award.