Kansas Wesleyan Men are No.2 seed in KCAC Tournament
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Kansas Wesleyan University is the No.2 seed in the upcoming Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Post-Season Basketball Tournament, which begins Monday with the two play-in contests.

The Coyotes finished the regular season 13-5 in conference play, and tied for second place with Saint Mary. Wesleyan was awarded the second seed based on the fourth tiebreaker in the conference tie break procedures.

Sterling is the No.1 after securing the KCAC Regular Season Championship with a 14-4 conference record. Saint Mary is the No.3 seed, followed by Tabor, Ottawa, Southwestern, McPherson, Friends, Bethany and Bethel.

Eighth seeded Southwestern will host ninth seeded Bethany in one of the Tournament Play-In games on Monday, and seventh seeded Friends will host tenth seeded Bethel in the other Play-In. Both games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip.

The winner of the Southwestern vs Bethany matchup will then travel to Sterling to take on the top seeded Warriors at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The winner of the Bethel vs Friends matchup will head to Salina to face the Coyotes at 7 p.m., Wednesday inside Mabee Arena.

Other quarterfinal match-ups feature fourth seeded Tabor hosting fifth seeded Ottawa, and third seed Saint Mary hosting sixth seeded McPherson in Leavenworth.

The Tournament semifinals are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, and the KCAC Tournament Championship is scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday, March 2. Both the semifinals and championship will be at the home site of the higher seeded team.

The Tournament Champion is the first automatic qualifier from the KCAC for the NAIA Division II National Championships, which begin March 11 in Point Lookout, Mo. The second qualifier from the KCAC is the highest remaining seed, regardless of finish in the tournament, which is there to protect the regular season champion’s berth into the National Tournament. If top seeded Sterling also wins the tournament, Kansas Wesleyan will be the second automatic qualifier based on this rule.

Admission to all KCAC Tournament games is $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for students. All KCAC Tournament games are NO PASS EVENTS. No KWU season passes will be accepted for the KCAC Tournament games inside Mabee Arena.

2009 KCAC Men's Post Season Tournament Schedule

Monday, February 23
No.10 Bethel at No.7 Friends, 7 p.m., Garvey Center, Wichita
No. 9 Bethany at No.8 Southwestern, 7 p.m., Stewart Fieldhouse, Winfield

Wednesday, February 25
Southwestern/Bethany at No.1 Sterling, 7 p.m., Gleason Center, Sterling
Friends/Bethel at No.2 Kansas Wesleyan, 7 p.m., Mabee Arena, Salina
No.6 McPherson at No.3 Saint Mary, 7 p.m., Ryan Sports Center, Leavenworth
No.5 Ottawa at No.4 Tabor, 7 p.m., Tabor Gymnasium, Hillsboro

Saturday, February 28
Ottawa/Tabor winner vs. SWC/BTHY vs. Sterling winner, 2 p.m., at site of higher seed
Saint Mary/McPherson winner vs. FRND/BTHL vs Kansas Wesleyan winner, 2 p.m., at site of higher seed

Monday, March 2
KCAC Tournament Championship, 7 p.m., at the site of the higher seeded team.

-- KWU SI --