The Cardinals have moved into a high-rent neighborhood at the 2024 MBB D1 Championship Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan.

Rallying from a 12-point deficit in the final 14:53, the seventh-seeded Cardinals advanced to the national semifinals for the second time in school history with a dramatic 61-60 decision against second-seeded Cowley Community College at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

The Cardinals (32-3) are scheduled to take on Region XIV champion and sixth-seeded Panola in the semifinals at 8 p.m. Friday. Panola won its eighth straight game with a 75-67 triumph against Vincennes in other Wednesday quarterfinal action. Panola is 29-6 on the season, including two wins against the Cardinals.

On the other side of the bracket, it will be (4) South Plains and (17) Connors State in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Connors State was a 66- 65 winner against (8) Daytona State and South Plains eliminated (12) Angelina, 79-70.

The championship is scheduled Saturday at 1 p.m. It will be televised on ESPNU.

The Cardinals got off to a good start, jumping out to a 9-0 lead. But Cowley, which finished the season 30-5, would outscore the Cardinals 28-16 the rest of the way to be up 28-25 at the intermission.

Early in the second half, Cowley exploded to go up by 12 and began to appear the clock was striking midnight for the Cardinals. But back-to-back possession resulting in three-point plays, turned momentum completely. The Cardinals surged to go up by 10 with just under 10 minutes left, at which point Cowley made a final surge.

Cowley had a point-blank shot at a win at the buzzer by the ball was swatted away.

The game was ultimately won at the free throw line. The Cardinals hit 12-of-14 and Cowley was 11-of-20. Tyler Smith, Zati Loubaki and Garrett Nuckolls each made four freebies for the Cardinals.

Cameron Willaims and Smith led the Cardinals with 14 points each. Loubaki  tossed in 12. Nuckolls finished with nine.

Williams led the Cardinals with seven rebounds.

The Cardinals are now one win away from tying the school record for wins in a season. The Cardinals went 33-2 in 1982, which was the last time the program has reached the national semifinals, and the Cardinals went 33-2 in 2016.