Hall of Fame
On the 25th anniversary of its run to the NAIA Final Four, the Point Park Pioneers men's basketball team of 1996-97 was inducted for the Class of 2021-22. The best finish ever at the national tournament for the men's basketball program earned this group the first team enshrinement for men's basketball and the third team inducted overall. The Pioneers had a starstudded roster under then eighth-year head coach Bob Rager. DeVaugh Halsel and Damon Wade headlined the roster as NAIA All-Americans. It was a veteran roster that came together in the fall of 1996. By February 1997, the Pioneers were 18-7 in the regular season to head into the KECC playoffs. The Pioneers embarked on a memorable postseason run, which started with beating perennial conference and national contenders Geneva and Westminster to win the KECC Championship. That earned the third bid to NAIA nationals in program history. Point Park went to Tulsa, Okla., and won their first three games to run all the way to the NAIA Final Four. A barn burner over Lipscomb 111-100 was the first national tournament victory in team history. A clutch win 71-70 over Claflin came next. That was followed by an overtime thriller of 88-84 over Hawaii Pacific to reach the promised land of the Final Four. A final loss to Oklahoma Baptist in the semifinals was the only thing keeping the Pioneers from playing for national championship. The Pioneers ended the year 23-8 overall for one of the best winning percentages in team history. The Pioneers were known for the high-scoring offense averaging nearly 90 points per game with tough defense and rebounding from the entire roster
