Pioneers to host opening rounds of NCAA tournament
Platteville, Wis.-The University of Wisconsin-Platteville men’s basketball team will be hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division III tournament at Bo Ryan Court. The 2019-20 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season champions will take on Concordia Wisconsin March, 6 at 7:30 p.m. on Bo Ryan Court.
Platteville, Wis.-The University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team will be hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division III tournament at Bo Ryan Court. The 2019-20 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season champions will take on Concordia Wisconsin March, 6 at 7:30 p.m. on Bo Ryan Court. St. Thomas (Minnesota) will battle St. Norbert in the opening game at 5 p.m. The winners of the Friday night contests will meet on Bo Ryan Court March 7 at 7:30 p.m.
The Pioneers (22-4), ranked #8 in the latest d3hoops.com poll, are making their third consecutive NCAA appearance and 13th overall, after receiving one of the 21 at-large bids. The Pioneers clamed national titles in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999. Concordia Wisconsin claimed an automatic berth after winning the Northern Athletics Colligate Conference (NACC) tournament championship with an 80-75 overtime win over the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Jeff Gard, recently named Coach of the Year in the WIAC, is in his 11th season at UW-Platteville and has a career record of 179-115. Senior Carter Voelker leads the Pioneers in scoring and rebounding with 15.5 points per game and 6.5 boards a contest. Voelker was recently named Co-Player of the Year in the WIAC, sharing the honor with Adam Fravert from UW Oshkosh. Junior Quentin Shields was second in scoring with 15.1 points per a game and was voted first team All-WIAC and the All-Defensive team.
Sophomore Kyle Tuma and junior Justin Stovall received Honorable Mention All-WIAC. Tuma averaged 10.6 points a game and Stovall averaged 10.4 points a contest. Stovall was also named to the All-Defensive team. Stovall finished second in the WIAC in blocked shots per game, averaging 1.35, and finished sixth in rebounding with 6.4 boards a game. Junior Drew Gunning led the WIAC in three-point field goal percentage with a .521 clip.
The Pioneers average 78.0 points per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor, 39.6 percent from behind the three-point line and 78.2 percent from the free-throw line. The Pioneers allow 65.0 points per contest.
The Falcons (19-9) return to the NCAA tournament for the third time and first since the 2010-11 season. Shawn Cassidy is in his 13th season at Concordia Wisconsin with a career record of 220-129. Jordan Johnson was the second leading scorer in the NACC with 19.5 points per game. Brandon Keller was fourth in the NACC in rebounding, averaging 7.4 boards a game. Jared Jurss lead the NACC in assists per contest, averaging 7.0.
Concordia Wisconsin is averaging 80.7 points per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the floor, 31.1 percent from behind the three-point line and 67.9 percent from the free-throw line. The Falcons give up 78.3 points a game.
The winner of the Pioneer and Falcon contest will advance to play the winner of the opening game between St. Thomas and St. Norbert.
St. Thomas (24-3) is currently ranked #4 in the latest d3hoops.com poll, and received an at-large bid after falling to St. Johns 82-63 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) championship game. The Tommies shared the regular season title with St. Johns.
This is the 20th NCAA appearance for the Tommies. The Tommies claimed national titles in 2011 and 2016. Johnny Tauer is in his ninth season as head coach at St. Thomas and has a career record of 209-50. Anders Nelson finished ninth in the MIAC in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game. Burt Hedstrom leads the Tommies in rebounding, averaging 4.5 boards a game, and Riley Miller leads the team in assists with 2.7 a game.
The Tommies are averaging 81.8 points per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor, 38.4 percent from behind the three-point line and 70.4 percent from the free throw line. The Tommies give up 66.5 points per contest.
St. Norbert (23-4) is currently ranked #22 in the latest d3hoops.com national poll and received an at-large bid after falling to Ripon 84-71 in the Midwest Conference final. The Green Knights won the Midwest Conference regular season title.
This is the ninth NCAA appearance for The Green Knights. Gary Grzesk is in his 14th season at St. Norbert with a record of 274-85. Jared Murphy and Connor Curtis lead The Green Knights in scoring with an average of 13.7 points per game. Curtis and Nolan Beime lead The Green Knights in rebounding, averaging 5.9 boards a game.
St. Norbert is averaging 80.8 points per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor, 37.3 percent from behind the three-point line and 73.7 percent from the free-throw line. The Green Knights give up 66.7 points per contest.
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