Albion draws Loras for NCAA Tournament game

Albion draws Loras for NCAA Tournament game

ALBION, Mich. – Albion College, the champion of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament, has drawn Loras (Iowa) College as its first round opponent in the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship.

The Britons and Duhawks will meet at North Central College in Naperville, Ill., Friday at 5:30 p.m. Central Time. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors/youth/students. Children 2 & under admitted free. Admission will be charged inside the main entrance to the Merner Field House approximately 90 minutes before the game on Friday.

Ranked 18th in the D3hoops.com Top 25, Loras earned an at-large bid into the 64-team field. The Duhawks were defeated by Nebraska Wesleyan University, 97-79, in the American Rivers Tournament championship game.

Loras averages nearly 92 points per game, good for 11th-best among NCAA Division III teams this season. Individually Ryan DiCanio and Josh Ruggles average a shade more than 18 points per game.

Albion eked out victories over Olivet College, 87-85, and Trine University, 76-73, to secure its first MIAA Tournament championship since 1998 and its first NCAA tournament berth since 2005.

In other news on Monday, sophomore guard Jamezell Davis, Jr. was named the MIAA Player of the Week for his performance in the tournament. He averaged 21 points, while shooting 50 percent from the field (12-of-24), and 4 ½ assists in the two games. Davis matched his career-high of 31 points in the semifinal versus Olivet, including the game-winning 3-point basket from just inside half-court as time expired. He scored eight of his 11 points against Trine in the final 3:25.

For more Albion men's basketball news, stay tuned to gobrits.com and follow the team's social media accounts: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook