MANKATO, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran men's basketball team (21-6 overall) will face No. 16 WashU (20-5) in the NCAA Tournament First Round Friday, March 6 at 5 p.m. No. 7 Nebraska Wesleyan will serve as host. The other Friday game No. 7 Nebraska Wesleyan (24-3) and Webster (19-8). Friday's winners will advance to Saturday's Second Round game.
 
The Vikings won the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament Championship to earn the bid to the NCAA Tournament. This marks the second trip for the program and second appearance in the last three seasons. Both have occurred under current head coach Matt Fletcher. BLC has advanced as far as the Second Round in 2018.
 

🎥@BLC_MensHoops reaction to #NCAAD3 Selection Show pic.twitter.com/ZucdxI3RSe

— Bethany Vikings (@BLCvikings) March 2, 2020

Follow the Vikings
Links to come for live video and live audio, provided by Nebraska Wesleyan.
Click here for the live stats.
 
Click here for the complete bracket.
Click here for the digital program.
 
Click here for the preview in the Mankato Free Press.

Tournament Schedule
Friday, March 6
5 p.m. No. 16 WashU vs. Bethany Lutheran
7:30 p.m. No. 7 Nebraska Wesleyan vs. Webster
 
Saturday, March 7
7:30 p.m. Second Round Game

Tickets
$12 Adults
$7 Senior Citizens and Students (First 300 NWU Students Free with ID)
Free for children 2 years old and under
Cash & credit card accepted  
Tickets available at the door one hour prior to tip-off on Friday, 90 minutes before tip-off on Saturday
 
The Series
This will be the inaugural meeting between the programs.

Bethany Lutheran
The Vikings have four players in double digits as sophomore Cire Mayfield (St. Louis Park, Minn.) leads the team with 18.0 PPG. Senior Trenton Krueger (Eagan, Minn.) follows at 16.7 and juniors Jared Milinkovich (New Prague, Minn.) and Brian Smith (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) round out the leading scorers with 13.7 and 12.7 PPG, respectively.

Krueger leads the team on the glass with his 8.7 rebounds/game. Mayfield has a team-high 193 assists and Smith has a team-best 51 steals.

Click here to watch the preview from KEYC.
 
Career Record Watch
Krueger is first in blocks (83), field goals (474) and rebounds (602), fourth in points (1,178), fifth in games started (79), and seventh in free throws (196). Jared Milinkovich is third in blocks (57) and tied for fourth in steals (104). Mayfield is second in assists (331) and ninth in field goals (370) and freshman Hunter Nielsen (New Prague, Minn.) is ninth in blocks (30).
 
Single Season Record Watch
Mayfield is first in assists (193), fourth in field goals (189), and tied for sixth in points (486). Nielsen is tied for third in blocked shots (30) and Smith is fourth in steals (51) and seventh in assists (109).

Krueger is first in rebounds (234), third in field goals (190), fourth in blocks (29), and 10th in points (450). Milinkovich is tied for sixth in rebounds (180) and ninth in blocks (20).

As a team, the Vikings have set a new record in points (2490), blocks (117), assists (529), field goals (936), three-point field goals (268), and wins (21).
 
National Stat Rankings
Bethany Lutheran ranks in the top 100 of 17 national stat categories, the NCAA released Monday.
 
The Vikings are: fourth in assists (529), fifth in field goal percentage (51.1), sixth in assists/game (19.6) and scoring offense (92.2), 30^th in assist turnover ratio (1.38), 31^st in scoring margin (11.5), 33^rd in won-lost percentage (77.8), 34^th in three-point field goals (268), 35^th in three-point field goal percentage (38.1) and blocks (117), 38^th in blocked shots/game (4.3), 45^th in three-point field goals/game (9.9), 52^nd in free throw percentage (74.9) and points (1,094), 71^st in rebounds/game (40.52), 76^th in rebound margin (4.4), and 96^th in steals (206).
 
Individually, Mayfield is third in assists/game (7.1) and assists (193), 45^th in field goals (189), 64^th in assist turnover ratio (2.10), and 95^th in points (486).
 
Krueger is first in field goal percentage (71.7), 32^nd in double doubles (12), 43^rd in field goals (190), 63^rd in rebounds (234), and 96^th in rebounds/game (8.7).
 
Milinkovich is 52^nd in field goal percentage (57.9) and Smith is 64^th in steals (51).

WashU
The Bears received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Three players average in double figures for WashU. Jack Nolan leads the team with 17.9 PPG, Justin Hardy is at 14.1 and DeVaughn Rucker is at 12.4.
 
Hardy is the leading rebounder at 6.9 rebounds/game.
 
Bethany Lutheran in the NCAA Tournament
03/02/18 at Saint John's               W 102-92
03/03/18 vs UW-Stevens Point   L 44-82