CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The No. 19-ranked Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves are headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 2018 tournament. The Prairie Wolves earned a share of the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) regular season title and picked up an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Nebraska Wesleyan will travel to Hampden-Sydney, Virginia where Hampden-Sydney College will serve as the host for the third round and quarterfinal round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Prairie Wolves will face RV Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday at 3:00 p.m. (CST) with the winner advancing to play in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Prairie Wolves are 8-2 in the NCAA Tournament under Head Coach
Dale Wellman including the claiming the national title in 2018. Nebraska Wesleyan advanced to this round of the tournament after defeating Centenary College (La.) 58-41 in the opening round and the University of Texas-Dallas 77-63 in the second round.
Peter Lash was the spark plug in the second-round game where he recorded 18 points and seven rebounds.
Jack Groeteke,
Landon Torenten, and
Carter Glenn also led the Prairie Wolves as they scored 15, 14, and 11 points, respectively. Groeteke also recorded seven rebounds.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps earned their trip to the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament following wins over (RV) St. Thomas (Texas) in the opening round 78-71 and Whitworth 69-67 in the second round. The CMS Stags is 22-6 on the season and earned the automatic bid from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). CMS are led by head coach Ken Scalmanini and are making the program’s first ever trip to the round of 16.
No. 1-ranked Hampden-Sydney College will serve as the host for the sectional rounds as they will open with Rowan University on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. (CST).
Hampden-Sydney comes from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and Rowan represents the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). Hampden-Sydney is making their seventh trip to the Sweet 16 while Rowan is making their second-straight appearance in the Sweet 16.
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia – Round of 16/Quarterfinal Schedule
Friday, March 8 – Round of 16
Game 1 – No. 19 Nebraska Wesleyan vs. RV Claremont-Mudd-Scripps – 3:00 p.m. (CST)
Game 2 – No. 1 Hampden-Sydney vs. Rowan – 6:00 p.m. (CST)
Saturday, March 9 – Quarterfinals
Game 3 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 6:00 p.m. (CST)
| (Top-25 Rank) Team |
Location |
Record |
Conference |
| (No. 19) Nebraska Wesleyan University |
Lincoln, Neb. |
25-4 |
American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) |
| (RV) Claremont-Mudd-Scripps |
Claremont, Calif. |
22-6 |
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) |
| (No. 1) Hampden-Sydney College |
Hampden-Sydney, Va. |
28-2 |
Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) |
| Rowan University |
Glassboro, N.J. |
21-7 |
New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) |
*Records and Rankings as of March 4, 2024
* Top-25 Rank from D3hoops.com
About the American Rivers Conference
The Conference dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges got together and formed the "Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association." Honoring its heritage in Iowa and its expansion outside the state, the American Rivers Conference brand was established on August 9, 2018, to build on the academic and athletic success provided by its legacy, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The A-R-C has nine full-time members: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College.
