John Shurna is a national champion – the 3-point shooting national champion, that is.
The Northwestern senior won the State Farm College 3-Point Championship in New Orleans, edging out Temple’s Juan Fernandez 21-20 in the final round. Shurna ranked third in the first round with 15 points, but won both the semifinals and the championship round with 20 and 21 points, respectively.
Shurna hit his first seven shots of the final round, and despite a mid-round slump, hit the last seven shots. He had 19 points heading into the last shot – worth two points – and sunk it with just seconds remaining to take the championship.
After winning the men’s competition, Shurna went on to beat the women’s 3-point champion, Southern California’s Ashley Corral, 24-14.
Shurna led NU and the Big Ten with 95 3-pointers this season and also led the team with a 44 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Shurna and Fernandez were joined by Chace Stanback (UNLV), Bradford Burgess (VCU), Casper Ware (Long Beach State), Ryne Smith (Purdue), Marcus Denmon (Missouri) and Nick Barbour (High Point) to round out the field.
