The 2004 Men’s Division II Elite Eight basketball tournament brought teams from all over the country to Bakersfield’s Centennial Garden.

The Kennesaw State Owls took the national championship home to Georgia by defeating the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles.

The Owls used fierce defense to stop the shooting offense of USI, which used their three-point shooting skills to oust tournament favorite Metro State and propel them into the nationally televised championship game.

Kennesaw State’s aggressive style of defense was too much for USI to overcome, and the Owls showed it by defeating the Screaming Eagles 84-59.