The Briar Cliff men's basketball team will face Indiana University Southeast, tomorrow, in the first round of the NAIA Div. II Men's Basketball National Championship in Point Lookout, Missouri. The contest, which is the first game of the tournament, will be played at 8:30 a.m. (TOURNAMENT PAGE)

The Chargers and the Grenadiers enter the tournament with identical 23-7 records. In the final poll of the season, the Chargers were 18th, while the Grenadiers were 16th. This year's national tournament appearance is the BCU program's 17th overall and first since 2001-02. It will be the Grenadiers sixth appearance at the NAIA Div. II Championship. They are 0-5 overall in tournament play. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Chargers and the Grenadiers.

The Chargers are coming off a 101-97 loss to Concordia in the quarterfinal round of the GPAC Tournament, Feb. 26. The loss snapped the Chargers' five-game win streak. Briar Cliff, 23-7 overall, is 5-0 this season playing in neutral-court contests. Going into the season, few people would have predicted the success the Chargers have experienced. They had lost four of their top five scorers, all of whom were starters. Senior Brett Ratcliff was the lone returning starter. After averaging 8.3 ppg last season, Ratcliff has elevated his game. He leads the team with 121 assists and 57 steals and is third in scoring with 13.0 ppg. Another reason for the team's success this year is a pair of roommates who have blossomed in their second season with the Chargers. Sophomores Kyle Semprini and Chase Vander Feen lead the Chargers in scoring, each averaging 14.8 ppg. They are also one and two in the conference in three-pointers made. Vander Feen has recorded a school-record 98 three-pointers, while Semprini is three back with 95. They each finished the regular season with 92 threes, one more than the previous school mark. As a team, the Chargers have connected on a school record and conference-best 270 three-pointers. Joining Ratcliff, Semprini and Vander Feen in the starting line-up has been senior Derek Mechaelsen and sophomore Matt Geelan. Mechaelsen has developed into one of the top shooters in the conference, shooting 58.8 percent from the field. Mechaelsen averages 9.7 ppg and 5.4 rpg, up from his averages of 2.6 ppg and 2.0 rpg, last year. Geelan has upped his production as well. He averaged 3.9 ppg and 3.3 rpg last season, but is chipping in 9.4 ppg and a team-high 6.3 rpg this year. As a team, the Chargers average 80.9 ppg, up 7.0 ppg from a season ago. Their defense holds opponents to 72.7 ppg, 5.6 ppg more than it did last year. The Chargers shoot 49.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point land. One area of concern for the Chargers is their free throw shooting, making only 68.0 percent. Key reserves for the Chargers this season have been junior Michael Dickes (6.4 ppg) and freshman Morris Smeader (4.9 ppg).

The Grenadiers are led by sophomore guard Jazzmarr Ferguson (14.8 ppg, 98 assists) and junior guard Craig Bryant (13.7 ppg, 70 threes). Both players earned all-Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) honors. A year ago, Bryant was the KIAC Player of the Year. Indiana Southeast also features double figure scorers in 6-7 senior James Thompkins (12.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 36 blocked shots) and junior Carlos Mitchell (11.0 ppg). Aside from Thompkins, the Grenadiers have two other players of equal or greater stature; 6-7, 240freshman center James Murry and 6-9, 270 junior center Charlie Gonzalez. The Grenadiers have won five-straight and 14 of their last 15 games. They average 81.5 ppg and are 3-7 on the season when they are held below 75 points.Coach Wiley Brown's team is made up of two seniors, seven juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen. Seven players on the squad have transferred in from another institution. The Grenadiers earned a spot in the national tournament by winning the KIAC Postseason Tournament for the second-straight year. On the season, they hold their opponents to 71.0 ppg. They shoot 48.0 percent from the field, 37.0 percent from downtown and 72.0 percent from the line.

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