BU earns No. 8 seed, face Concordia (Ore.) in first round
The Bellevue men's basketball team earned the No. 8 seed in the 2014 NAIA II National Championship and play Concordia (Ore.) on March 12 at 9:45 p.m.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team earned the No. 8 seed in the 2014 NAIA Men's Basketball Division II National Championship, which will be held on March 12-18 in Point Lookout, Mo. at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks.
The Bruins (28-5) will face Concordia (Ore.) University in the first round at 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12.
Concordia, a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference, earned its second-ever berth into the National Tournament and and is currently 22-9 overall, while earning an at-large bid. The Cavaliers are making their first appearance since 2000 and are 1-1 all-time in the tournament.
Bellevue, the MCAC co-regular season champions, will be making its 15th overall and 12th-straight appearance in the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship. The Bruins finished runner-up in 2004 and 2008.
Head coach Shane Paben, who is in his sixth season at Bellevue, has guided the Bruins to six-straight NAIA National Tournament appearances. The Bruins reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2011, 2012 and 2013, the semifinals in 2010 and the quarterfinals in 2009 in Paben's first season.
The Bruins tied Oklahoma Wesleyan University for the MCAC regular season crown, finishing with a 12-2 league record. Bellevue defeated the Eagles, 87-75, in the conference tournament championship game on March 4 in Bartlesville, Okla.
Bellevue owns a 20-14 all-time record at the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship.
This first round contest will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.