The Grace College men’s basketball team qualified for the 2008 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship, which began yesterday in Branson, Missouri. The Lancers, ranked 19th in the final regular season poll, will go into tournament play as the #18 seed in the field of 32. The Lancers drew the No. 14 seed Embry-Riddle Eagles from Daytona Beach, Florida. This is the Lancers’ first appearance in the NAIA championship in 15 years.

Grace earned an At-Large bid to the tournament based on their final rating in the national poll. They head into the tournament with a 24-9 overall record. Both the Lancers and Eagles will attempt to bring home the second national championship for their respective programs. Game time begins today, March 13, at 5:45 CST and can be heard live via Stretch Internet. To read more, see the tournament brackets, and link to the NAIA and Stretch Internet, go to http://www.grace.edu/athletics/.

Please pray for travel safety and for a great time of competition for the Lancers in the tournament. Be sure to visit the Grace Web site often to keep up with the latest from Branson. Special thanks to James Bloemendaal, our campus dining services manager, and Grace’s Office of Information Technology, who are arranging for a special game Webcast tonight at Alpha for students and employees on campus.