TVCC Teams Bow Out of NJCAA National Tournaments

Men's team falls in semifinals, women's team stopped one game short of final

Apr. 2, 2026 at 6:04am

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The Trinity Valley Community College men's and women's basketball teams saw their national championship hopes end at the NJCAA Division I tournaments in Hutchinson, Kansas. The men's team lost in the semifinals, while the women's team was defeated in the semifinals as well.

Why it matters

TVCC has been a perennial powerhouse in NJCAA basketball, with the men's team winning the national title last year. Their deep tournament runs this season showcase the continued excellence of the program and the competitiveness of the NJCAA's top teams.

The details

The TVCC men's team, seeded fourth, fell 72-66 to top-seeded Howard in the semifinals. They led for much of the first half but Howard rallied to take a 32-31 halftime lead and held on in the second half. Braylon Wenger led TVCC with 24 points in his final game. On the women's side, top-ranked Eastern Arizona ended TVCC's 11-game winning streak with a 56-29 semifinal victory. TVCC shot just 19.6% from the field and only managed 13 points in the second half.

  • The TVCC men's team lost in the semifinals on Saturday, April 5, 2026.
  • The TVCC women's team lost in the semifinals on Monday, April 7, 2026.

The players

Braylon Wenger

A senior guard who led the TVCC men's team with 24 points in their semifinal loss.

M.J. Wardlow

A TVCC men's player who scored 12 points in the semifinal game.

Armani Henderson

A TVCC men's player who had 8 points, 6 assists and 4 steals in the semifinal loss.

Taylor Day-Davis

The leading scorer for the TVCC women's team with 8 points in their semifinal defeat.

Eastern Arizona

The top-ranked women's team that defeated TVCC 56-29 in the semifinals.

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What they’re saying

“We had a great season and I'm proud of how our team competed, but it's tough to come up short of the final. We'll be back next year hungry to win it all.”

— Braylon Wenger, TVCC Men's Player

The takeaway

Despite the disappointing semifinal exits, the TVCC men's and women's basketball programs have established themselves as consistent national contenders in the NJCAA. With strong recruiting and coaching, they will look to bounce back next season and make another run at the national championship.