Crossroads League Well Represented At National Championships
AVON, OHIO – The Crossroads League will showcase three teams in the upcoming 2018 NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, with No. 5 Marian, No. 15 Taylor and No. 17 Indiana Wesleyan all making the 32-team field.
No. 5 Marian (31-2) earned one of the Crossroads League’s two automatic bids into the field by clinching the league’s regular season and tournament championships. The Knights earned the second seed in the Cramer Bracket and will begin play against seventh-seeded and RV Saint Thomas (21-9) on Thursday at 6:15 pm (ET).
No. 15 Taylor (23-10) grabbed the league’s second automatic bid to Nationals by advancing to the CL Tournament Championship game against MU. The Trojans took the fourth seed in the Liston Bracket and will take on fifth-seeded and No. 18 Northwest Christian (23-6) on Wednesday at 2:45 pm (ET).
No. 17 Indiana Wesleyan (24-8) secured one of 10 available at-large bids into the tournament and earned the fifth seed in the Naismith Bracket. The Wildcats will open play with fourth-seeded and No. 16 Olivet Nazarene (23-9) on Wednesday at 4:30 pm (ET).
Former Warsaw standout Dayton Groninger is a freshman member of the Wildcats.
Action is set to begin on Wednesday, March 7 at 9:30 am (ET) and continue through the championship game on Tuesday, March 13 at 8:00 pm (ET) inside the Tyson Events Center.
Four Men’s Teams In National Championship
The Crossroads League will be represented by four teams in the 2018 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 7 Saint Francis, No. 18 Bethel and No. 24 Marian all making the 32-team field.
No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan (26-7) won the regular season and tournament championships for the Crossroads League to claim an automatic bid into the tournament. The Wildcats earned the top seed in the Cramer Bracket and will begin their tournament play against eighth-seeded and RV Antelope Valley (20-7) on Thursday at 1:00 pm (ET).
IWU freshman Kyle Mangas is a WCHS product. The star guard is the top scorer for the Wildcats and earned League Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors this season.
No. 7 Saint Francis (25-8) claimed the CL’s second automatic bid with its second-place finish in the league standings. The Cougars claimed the second seed within the Liston Bracket and will open with seventh-seeded and RV Keiser (20-10) at 6:45 pm (ET) on Wednesday.
No. 18 Bethel (22-9) was awarded one-of-10 at-large bids into the field and will open play as the fifth seed in the Naismith Bracket. The Pilots will go up against fourth-seeded and No. 16 Oklahoma Wesleyan (25-8) in a 2:45 pm (ET) start on Wednesday.
No. 24 Marian (20-11) also claimed an at-large bid and earned the sixth seed in the Duer Bracket. The Knights will close the opening round with a 10:15 pm (ET) clash against third seed and No. 9 Union (23-7) on Thursday evening.
Action will begin on Wednesday, March 7 at 9:30 am (ET) and continue through the championship game on Tuesday, March 13 at 7:00 pm (ET) inside the Sanford Pentagon.