Men's Basketball to Face #24 Washington University (Mo.) to Open NCAA Championships

For the ninth time in 16 seasons under head coach Brian Van Haaften, the Buena Vista men’s basketball team has earned a spot into the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament.  This year the Beavers have been selected to travel to St. Louis, Mo. and face 24^th-ranked Washington University (Mo.) (19-6) in an opening round contest on Friday night, March 2.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30pm.

North Central College (Ill.) (20-7, 12-2 CCIW) and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (20-8, 11-7 HCAC) will square-off in the early game that night at 6:00pm.

The Beavers (17-10, 11-5 IIAC) won their seventh Iowa Conference Tournament championship in 14 seasons on Saturday night, 54-52, over top-seeded Coe College to earn the automatic berth into the big dance.

Van Haaften has led the program to three Sweet 16 Trips during his tenure and a combined record of 6-8.  The last time his team advanced to that round was back in 2008, and their opponent in that game just happened to be Wash U, which edged the Beavers in an overtime thriller, 85-77.

The Bears, winners of their 11^th University Athletic Association championship are making their 16^th NCAA berth as a Division III school and 19^th overall. They are a combined 29-13 overall all-time in postseason play, and won the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Division III National Titles.

Rose-Hulman is making its first trip since 1999 after the Fightin’ Engineers topped 16ht-ranked Transylvania University in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game on Sunday, 76-73, in overtime.

North Central cruised to a 75-58 victory over 22^nd-ranked Wheaton College on Saturday during the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament championship game.  The Cardinals are into the tournament for the sixth-time in school history.

Friday’s Buena Vista/Wash U game will be broadcasted locally on 97.5FM KBVU.

Complete Printable Bracket (PDF)

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