Falcons’ flight ends short of title
University of Montevallo senior D.J. Rivera waited patiently for several individual honors that never came during his collegiate basketball playing career.
The 6-foot-4 Philadelphia, Pa. native would gladly trade in the final awards he received for a much more important achievement.
Rivera, two days after being named an All-American, was named the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Division II national championship game March 24 at The Bank of Kentucky Center, but the recognition felt meaningless with the prize Rivera and his teammates left on the floor after struggling to put the ball in the basket in a 72-65 loss to Western Washington University.