With press time too early to announce the results, it is
worth noting that the men's basketball game on Thursday against
Lasell College of Newton, Mass., represents the first time in 20
years that the team has appeared in the NCAA Division III
National Championship.
It was also the first time ever that Union has hosted the
tournament.
The winner of this first-round game will play Babson College
in Boston on Saturday.
The only other time the Dutchmen were invited to
“The Dance” was in 1983 after posting a 20-4 regular-season record.
Union traveled to Potsdam to play in the Eastern Regionals, losing its
opener to Hartwick, 61-49, before beating Ithaca, 89-69.
This year, Union (20-7
overall) won the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association's regular-season with
its 11-3 league record to earn the right to host the UCAA
championship tournament. The Dutchmen then beat Hamilton, 80-66, and
St. Lawrence, 70-63, to capture an automatic bid to the
NCAA Tournament.
“This is the team's reward for all the hard work they've put
in since the end of last season,” said sixth-year head coach
Bob Montana.