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Spokane, WA – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team will face a familiar foe in a somewhat unfamiliar spot when the Cru travels to Spokane, Washington to take on Whitworth University this Saturday. The UMHB men will be playing Whitworth in Spokane for the second time this season, but this game comes in the Sectional Round of the NCAA Division III National Championships. The Cru is making just its second appearance in the NCAA's round of 16 in the history of the program.
UMHB is 24-5 overall on the season and advanced to the Sectional round by beating American Southwest Conference rival Concordia University 117-92 in a Second Round Game last Saturday in Belton. The Cru has won 23 of its last 26 games entering the Sectional round and is in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. UMHB dropped a 70-61 decision at Whitworth back on November 24
th in the first meeting between the two teams. Senior wing
Thomas Orr leads the Cru in scoring at 14.7 points per game and he has a team-best 55 three-pointers. Junior forward
Kitrick Bell tops UMHB and the ASC with 10.2 rebounds per game and he is also scoring 12.1 points per game. Junior guard
James Allen averages 13.0 points per game and has a team-high 109 assists. Senior wing
Brian Todd is coming off a career-best performance with 28 points and 15 rebounds in the win over Concordia and senior wing
Cory Meals added 17 points in that victory.
Whitworth is 26-3 on the year and entered the postseason ranked sixth in the country by D3hoops.com. The Pirates are in the Sectional round for the fifth time and are making their eighth appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championships. Whitworth has four players averaging double figures, led by Dustin McConnell at 13.7 points per game. McConnell also has a team-high 94 assists. The Pirates are shooting 51 percent as a team for the season and are hitting 39 percent from three-point range.
UMHB will provide live audio streaming of the game with Sports Information Director
Jon Wallin calling the action. Whitworth will also provide free live video streaming and live statistics for the game. You can find all of those links on the UMHB Athletic Department web site at
www.cruathletics.com. The teams are playing for the right to advance to the Sectional Final and Championship Semifinal rounds on March 22-23 in Salem, Va. The winner of Saturday's game will play the winner of a contest between St. Mary's (Md.) and Morrisville State (N.Y.) in Salem next Friday.
Tickets will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students, youth and senior adults. All available seating is general admission and tickets will only be sold at the door. Doors will open at 5:30 pm.
