February 28, 2011

Hanover Earns At-Large Bid to Join Manchester in 61-Team Men's Field

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference received two bids into the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament for the second consecutive year. Conference champion Manchester College was joined by runner up Hanover College in the field of 61.

Manchester, the HCAC regular season and tournament champions, will play Bethany (W.V.) at Wooster on Friday, March 4 in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Division III Tournament. The Spartans won the HCAC's automatic bid with a 79-69 win over Hanover in the championship game.

The Panthers, despite the loss to MC, earned an at-large berth into the 61-team field and will face Hope College at Augustana (IL) Friday.

Manchester, 2 1-6, will travel to Wooster, Ohio to tangle with the Bison of Bethany (W.V.) College (21-7). The Bison defeated top seed Thiel, 74-67 to earn the Presidents’ Athletic Conference title. Bethany enters the tournament winners of seven of their last eight games, while Manchester heads into NCAA postseason play on an 11 game winning streak.

The Spartans are making their fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in school history.

The winner of the Manchester vs. Bethany game will play the winner of the Wooster (26-2) vs. Benedictine (IL) (21-7) game Saturday, March 5 at the College of Wooster.

Hanover College has been selected to play in the 61-team NCAA Division III Tournament and will be making its first appearance in the dance since 2005. The Panthers (19-7) will face Hope (22-6) Friday at Augustana (IL) College. The Flying Dutchmen beat Calvin 72-67 in the championship of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament to earn their sixth straight NCAA tournament bid.

The winner of the Hanover vs. Hope matchup will face the winner of the Augustana (24-3) vs. Webster (20-6) game Saturday, March 5 in Rock Island, Illinois.