INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - McKendree men's basketball team is headed to Indianapolis for its first-ever berth in the Division II NCAA Basketball Tournament after clinching the Great Lakes Valley Conference title over the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Sunday afternoon. The eighth-seeded Bearcats are matched up with a familiar opponent in the first-seeded University of Indianapolis. Tip-off is set for Saturday, March 11 at 5 p.m. (Eastern) in Nicoson Hall.
McKendree is one of three GLVC teams who will appear at the tournament. Indianapolis will host as the No. 1-seed while UMSL claimed a No. 2 seed.
The Bearcats are heading into the bracket with a six-game winning streak. In the six victories, McKendree has shot 50 percent or better from the field and 42 percent or better from the three-point line in five of the six wins. Junior forward
Milos Vicentic led the Bearcats offensively in the GLVC tournament, averaging 20.3 points to earn the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.
The University of Indianapolis earned an at-large berth to the tournament with a 26-4 overall record, though the Greyhounds were stunned in the tournament with an 82-56 loss to the GLVC runner-up UMSL. Saturday's game will mark the second meeting of the season between the Greyhounds and the Bearcats as the two teams battled mid-January at Nicoson Hall.
McKendree head coach
George Suggs on the tournament:
"This is a tremendous opportunity for our program on the national stage. Our student-athletes have been tremendous representatives of McKendree through this entire run, and for them to get the opportunity to continue to do so is well-earned. We have a real challenge ahead of us taking on a very talented and well-coach UIndy team at their place, but I have no doubt we are up for the challenge."
Tickets are available for $12 for Adults and $6 for Children/Seniors/Students and can be purchased through UIndy's
website or in-person at the venue. Games will be streamed on the
GLVC Sports Network.
Tournament Central
Live Stats, Video and Ticket Links
Midwest Regional Schedule (All times eastern)
Location
Nicoson Hall
University of Indianapolis
3957 Campus Way
Indianapolis, IN 46227
QF 1 -- #3 Ashland (22-9) vs #6 Ferris St. (23-8) | 12pm Saturday, March 11
QF 2 -- #2 Missouri-St. Louis (21-10) vs #7 Wisconsin-Parkside (21-8) | 2:30pm Saturday, March 11
QF 3 -- #1 UIndy (26-4) vs #8 McKendree (18-12) | 5pm Saturday, March 11
QF 4 -- #4 Hillsdale (23-6) vs #5 Northern Michigan (24-7) | 7:30pm Saturday, March 11
SF 1 – QF 1 winner vs QF 2 winner | 5pm Sunday, March 12
SF 2 – QF 3 winner vs QF 4 winner | 7:30pm Sunday, March 12
F – SF 1 winner vs SF 2 winner | 7pm Tuesday, March 14 | Nicoson Hall | Indianapolis, IN
