The UMSL Tritons are 19-11 and will play Ferris State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which begins this weekend. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer
For the fourth time in six years and sixth time in program history, the University of Missouri-St. Louis men’s basketball team has earned a berth into the NCAA Division National Tournament.
The Tritons received an at-large berth, after losing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament game to Lincoln University on Sunday. UMSL will be the fourth seed in the Midwest Regional, which begins on Saturday at the University of Illinois-Springfield’s The Recreation and Athletic Center.
UMSL (19-11) will take on fifth seeded Ferris State (25-8) in the fourth game of the day at 7:30 p.m. The Bulldogs received an at-large bid out of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The two teams last met in the Midwest Regional semifinal in 2023, which UMSL won 82-68.
The other three first round matchups will feature sixth seeded Northern Michigan taking on third seeded Michigan Tech. Lincoln earned the number seven seed and will face GLIAC champ and second seeded Lake Superior State at 2:30 p.m. The top seed, Missouri S&T, will face Great Midwest Athletic Conference champion and eighth seeded Malone at 5 p.m.
Semifinals of the regional tournament will be held on Sunday, March 16, while the championship game is on Tuesday, March 18. The regional winner advances to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, along with seven other regional champions. The Elite Eight will be held March 25-29 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.