A statement from the NAIA

The health and safety of our student-athletes, as well as all involved in our championship events, is the NAIA's highest priority. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments and NAIA leadership will work closely with our member institutions to determine the best path forward for future NAIA events, including all spring 2020 championships.”

The Eagles always planned to finish their season by cutting down the nets, but it was supposed to happen in Billings, Montana, not in Fayette.

Central Methodist’s 31-2 season came to a close on Thursday afternoon when the NAIA announced the cancellation of its remaining winter championships.

On Wednesday night, the Eagles learned that they received the number two seed in the Duer Bracket, scheduled to face tournament host Rocky Mountain on the next Wednesday. Eighteen hours later the tournament was canceled. Their season was over.

It was devastating news for a CMU team that was playing its best basketball of the year. CMU finished the season with 16 straight wins, including a convincing 88-55 win over 19^th-ranked William Penn in the Heart championship game.

The Central Methodist roster is comprised of 13 seniors and just four underclassmen. None of those seniors knew that they had played their final college game on Monday, March 9.

Obviously, there are more important things in life than sports. Many people affected by the pandemic will suffer greater losses than a chance to win a championship.

But March 12 wasn’t a day for these athletes to try to have some kind of perspective. It was a day for many athletes at all levels to mourn the loss of an opportunity to finish their careers.  Moments that they had dreamed about and worked toward for years.  

For the Eagle seniors, the circumstances were especially difficult. Three of the top four teams from the Heart of America conference made the NAIA Division I tournament last year, but third-place Central Methodist was not included after a 20-12 season. This year, the top six teams from the Heart received tournament berths.

The Central Methodist women turned that disappointment into motivation. The Eagles finished third in the nation in scoring and field goal percentage, scoring almost 87 points per game while allowing 67.

Like so many teams, the Eagles will forever wonder what could have been. 

The 2019-20 Eagles leave their names all over the CMU record books with most wins (31), least losses (2), best winning percentage (.939), and highest ranking (6). But under national tournament finishes… it’s just a question mark.

The coming years will likely bring some perspective, and opportunities to reflect on the great moments shared by Eagle teammates on and off the court. But on Thursday, players were left with mix of shock, disappointment, and questions.

Coach Mike Davis offered a final thought on the legacy of this special group.  "This team will always have unfinshed business," he said. "But they will be champions forever."