MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Forester men’s basketball team learned earlier today that Huntington University was selected as a host site for the NAIA First and Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, with games to be played in Platt Arena.

HU will welcome 14th-seeded Lourdes (Ohio), 6th-seeded Northwestern (Iowa) and 11th-seeded Graceland (Iowa) to the Huntington Bracket on March 14-15. There will be two first round games on Friday with the winners playing on Saturday in round two action. The winner of the Huntington Bracket will earn a spot to the NAIA’s final site in Kansas City (Mo.) slated for March 20-25.

“We are beyond excited to receive our first-ever bid to host the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds,” said Athletic Director Lori Culler. “This is a historic moment for our program, our athletes and our community, and we can’t wait to showcase our beautiful new facility and our Forester hospitality on a national stage.”

For Coach Kory Alford and crew, this marks the fourth consecutive appearance on the big stage. The Foresters, a #3 seed, received an at-large bid and will face 14th-seeded Lourdes on Friday, March 14, at 6:00 p.m. These two programs last met in 2010-2011 with HU cruising past the Gray Wolves 72-38.

Huntington heads into the tourney with a record of 24-7 which includes a 12-6 league record and five wins over Top 25 opponents. This is the 12th time the Foresters have advanced to an NAIA postseason tournament.

Lourdes (21-8, 15-5) received one of 30 at-large bids. This will be their sixth trip to the big dance with their most recent appearance last winter.

Other Crossroads League teams to spot in the tourney include Grace (#2 seed), Bethel (#4 seed), Indiana Wesleyan (#5 seed), Spring Arbor (#9 seed) and Saint Francis (#10 seed).

The 64-team field includes 34 automatic qualifiers and 30 at-large selections. The tournament begins with the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds at 16 host sites throughout the country. The winner from each site advances to the final site in Kansas City (Mo.) for a 16-team single-elimination tournament that runs from March 20-25 at Municipal Auditorium.