WINONA LAKE - There were once 14 seasons between appearances, but now for the third time in four years, Grace College's men's basketball team is headed to the NAIA Division II National Tournament.
The 32-team, single-elimination tournament will run from March 9-15, and will once again be played at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.The Lancers, who gathered Wednesday evening at Alpha Dining Hall to watch the pairings show on a big screen, received an at-large bid and will play Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) at 6:45 p.m. EDT on March 10.
"At the beginning of the season, we set out to be the best team we can be," said Grace College coach Jim Kessler. "Our goal was to really show up on the defensive end. I think our body of work is why we were rewarded with the opportunity to play in the national tournament, and we're looking forward to it."
Grace won the national championship in 1992 and earned the No. 2 seed the following year.
The Lancers, however, didn't make another appearance in the tournament until 2008.
In the 2008 and 2009 tournaments, the Lancers advanced to the Elite Eight.
"We've done well when we've made the tournament," said Kessler. "I think the Indiana teams do well because they focus on the fundamentals. If you go down there and win the first game, you feel like you belong, and then you go from there."
Other teams from the Hoosier State that will play in the tournament include defending national champion St. Francis, Indiana Wesleyan, Indiana Southeast, and Indiana East.
Indiana Wesleyan is ranked ninth in the final national poll of the season, while St. Francis is 14th, Grace is 16th, Indiana Southeast is 17th and Indiana East is 23rd.
The Lancers posted a record of 11-5 during regular-season play in the Mid-Central College Conference, a mark that included a pair of wins over St. Francis.
St. Francis, however, beat the Lancers in the second round of the MCC Tournanent and went on to beat Indiana Weslyan in the championship game to earn an automatic berth in the national tournament.
"The MCC is tough," said Kessler. "I think this team has the pieces to do well in the tournament, and our schedule does a great job of preparing us. It's a battle every night in the MCC."
The Lancers have won 12 of their last 16 games and enter the national tournament with a 22-10 record.
Junior Duke Johnson leads the Lancers with averages of 16 points and seven rebounds per game, while sophomore Bruce Grimm Jr. averages14 points per game and senior David Henry and freshman Greg Miller chip in with 10 points per game.
Grace is 8-3 all-time in national tournament play.
The Dakota Wesleyan Tigers, who are ranked 18th in the final national poll, sport a 23-8 record and are making their fifth conscecutive trip to the national tournament.
The Tigers are 1-5 all-time in national tournament play.
