ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - The Augustana men's basketball team will host a four-team pod in front of the "Carver Crazies" at the Carver Center on March 2-3 during the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Vikings, 22-5 on the season, will host Greenville in Friday's opening rounding at 7:30 p.m.
The teams from Hope College and Augsburg University's will square off in the first game at 5:30 p.m.
The winners on Friday March 2 will meet on Saturday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m, to advance to sectional play.
Greenville (19-8) is this year’s St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champion. The Panthers lead the nation at all levels of NCAA play in scoring (126.6 points per game) and three-point field goals (18.9 per game) and have won seven straight games.
Hope (18-9) is tied for the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season championship before claiming the MIAA tournament title. The Flying Dutchmen also played NCAA tournament games at Carver Center in 2011 and 2016. They’ll enter this weekend’s play having won eight of their last nine.
Augsburg (21-7) finished fourth in this year’s Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference race, but the Auggies earned the MIAC’s automatic NCAA bid by winning the league’s tournament. They come into this weekend on a four-game winning streak and have not lost a non-conference game this season.
Ticket prices, which are set by the NCAA, are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors aged 60 and up, $5 for students and children aged 2-18 and children under two will be admitted free of charge. No passes will be recognized. Doors at Carver Center open at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and 5:30 on Saturday.