The Anderson University men’s basketball team continues its ride in the NCAA Div. III national tournament on Saturday night as they face host No. 14 Carthage in the second round at Kenosha, Wisc.

The game will be carried live on Stretch Internet from Tarble Arena and can also be viewed on the webcast as well as live stats at 7 p.m. (CST).

“We are going to suit up and be ready to play tomorrow at 7 p.m.,” said coach Tom Slyder. “We will be ready for the other team that comes out.”

If the Ravens hope to reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Div. III national tournament they will have to take down the first round tournament host Carthage College. The Red Men enter the match-up with an identical record to the Ravens at 23-5, including the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season and tournament title.

Junior guard Steve Djurickovic, named a “D3hoops.com” Third-Team All-American last season, does it all for the Red Men. This season’s CCIW player of the year leads Carthage with 24.1 ppg, better than seven assists and four rebounds per game.

Freshman Tyler Pierce adds a powerful low post presence to compliment Djurickovic. The 6-5 Illinois First-Team All-State selection is second in scoring (12.2 ppg) and leads the team in rebounding (4.7 rpg). He was selected as a third-team CCIW selection this season.

Joining Pierce on the third-team was forward Mitch Thompson. The 6-6 freshman had 14 points and 12 rebounds Friday in the Red Men’s first round tournament victory over Aurora. He and Pierce should challenge the Ravens strong frontline.

Head Coach Bosko Djurickovic, named 2009-10 CCIW Coach of the Year, has compiled a 240-123 record in 14 years at Carthage. His 436 career NCAA Division III wins, at North Park and Carthage, rank in the top-30 all-time.

The Ravens, playing in their first ever NCAA Division III National Tournament, handled everything the Tommies threw at them on Friday night. Ty Riddle, after a forgettable first half where he went just 1-for-7 from the field, hit 5-of-6 shots in the second half, including four 3-pointers. He finished with a team-high 21 points. He leads the Ravens in scoring (14.9 ppg).

Andrew Jones finished with 17 points, including 9-for-10 from the line. HCAC first-teamer Brock Morrison added a double-double scoring 10 points and grabbing a game high 11 rebounds.

Tickets for tonight’s second round match-up are $7 for general admission and $4 for seniors and students with a school ID.

Now that the Anderson University men’s basketball team is in the 61-team NCAA Div. III national tournament field, the next hurdle is the Ravens first opponent – No. 6 St. Thomas University, Minn.

You can watch the game on the video stream or live stats. The game will be carried live on the internet broadcast from Kenosha, Wisc., at 6 p.m. (CST).

While the No. 24 ranked Ravens (22-5) are making their first national postseason appearance since 1960-61 season, the Tommies (23-3) are used to competing in postseason play. It is St. Thomas’ 14th NCAA playoff berth and the program’s fifth in a row. St. Thomas also has the most wins of any Div. III basketball program in the last five years (123-19).

“They play their style and they are very good at playing the way they want to play,” said AU coach Tom Slyder, who was named the 2009-10 HCAC Coach of the Year. “If you can handle their pressure, you can get good shots.”

St. Thomas is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and finished the regular season with a record of 23-3 and a conference record of 19-1. Before losing the conference championship game to Carleton Feb. 25, the Tommies had a 12-game winning streak.

Junior Tyler Nicoli leads the team in minutes (29.3 mpg), three-point field goals (62), steals (44) and points (14.3 ppg). Junior Alex Healy is second in scoring (12.2 ppg), three-point field goals (45) and rebounds (3.7 rpg).

Leading the Tommies is Joe Scott. The senior guard was the 2008-09 MIAC Player of the Year and is third in scoring (10.9 ppg) and three-point field goals (44).

To compliment the Tommies three leading scorers are a host of role players. Eight players average between 9.4-16.6 minutes per game, supplying the manpower necessary to operate their high-pressure attack. St. Thomas applies constant pressure to their opponents, allowing a MIAC-best 60.9 ppg.

“We know that they are a team that really thrives on the defensive end,” said AU point guard Gabe Miller. “They like to get after you and force a lot of turnovers. We’ll have to have poise and stay under control and not get rattled during the game.”

Long-time Head Coach Steve Fritz leads the Tommies. The St. Thomas graduate has been named the MIAC coach of the year 14 times and has only one losing season in 29 years as head coach.

“We’ll press quite a bit, play a straight man-to-man defense, and play a lot of guys,” said Fritz. “We pretty much play a full court game.”

Anderson is led by All-HCAC selection Brock Morrison, who averages a team-high 14.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season. The forward also shot 55 percent from the field, 38 from 3-point range and a team-best 84 percent from the free throw line.

All five Raven starters average double figures, including All-HCAC picks Ty Riddle (14.7 ppg), Miller (11.4 ppg) and Andrew Jones (13.2 ppg) and Andrew Bowman (11.9 ppg).

The Ravens won their first conference championship since 1981-82 and their first outright title since the 1960-61 season. AU defeated Manchester 64-63 in the semifinal round of the post-season tournament before falling to Defiance in the championship game 70-65.

“We’re trying to get back to the point we were at when we reeled off so many wins in a row and everything was clicking,” said Bowman. “The feeling that our season could have been over really woke us up.”

“Right now there are 61 teams left and the talent is pretty even,” said Miller. “You get to this point for one reason – your a winning program and you can play.”

Tickets are $7 for general admission and $4 for seniors, children and students with an ID.

Anderson University men’s basketball coach Tom Slyder has been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the 2009-10 season on Tuesday.

Slyder guided the Ravens to a 22-5 overall record and a 13-3 mark in the HCAC, including its first conference championship since 1981-82. It was also the first time an AU coach has been named Coach of the Year since Hall of Famer Barrett Bates won the award after the 1980-81 season. Slyder is 69-63 overall in five seasons at Anderson.

Three Ravens made the 12-man All-HCAC squad, led by sophomore Brock Morrison, who averaged a team-high 14.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season. The forward also shot 55 pecent from the field, 38 from 3-point range and a team-best 84 percent from the free throw line. He was also second in assists (79) and third in steals (28). He was a two-time HCAC Player of the Week and once on the D3hoops.com national team of the week.

Also on team were juniors Ty Riddle and Gabe Miller. Riddle was second in scoring (14.7 ppg) and led the HCAC in 3-pointers made (85), breaking Brent Ross’ 20-year-old single season record of 81. Miller averaged 11.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and a team-high 3.7 assists per game.

Junior Andrew Jones and sophomore Andrew Bowman were named Honorable Mention. Jones averaged 13.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while Bowman was at 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

AU will travel to Kenosha, Wisc., on Friday to play in the first round of the NCAA Div. III national tournament. The Ravens play No.3 St. Thomas, Minn. (23-3), in the first game at 6 p.m. Aurora (18-10) plays host Carthage (22-5) in the second game with the winners meeting in the second round on Saturday at Kenosha, Wisc.

It was a night that Anderson University men’s basketball coach Tom Slyder will never forget and a morning he will always remember.

For the first time in school history, the Ravens have been selected to play in the 61-team NCAA Div. III national tournament. AU (22-5) will play St. Thomas, Minn. (23-3), in the first round on Friday at 6 p.m. (CST) in Kenosha, Wisc. A live webcast and stats of the game will be available via the Carthage College Web site.

“Elation and excitement,” said Slyder of his reaction to making the field around 10 a.m. on Monday morning as the team was gathered in conference room in the Wellness Center. “I was up at 3:25 a.m. this morning and I didn’t go back to bed. I had to admit I felt it was a longshot and we were the last team announced in the Midwest. I thought there was hope when Wheaton was sent to the South Region.”

Slyder will sleep well tonight, knowing the Ravens will be traveling to Kenosa, Wisc., this weekend. Carthage and Aurora will play in the other first round game with the winners to meet on Saturday at Carthage. The sectionals are on Mar. 12-13 on campus sites with the semifinals and championship on Mar. 19-20 in Salem, Va.

“It’s important to our university and our fans and that was apparent from the turnout at the conference tournament,” said Slyder of making the tournament. “It’s no different than if someone has success in the music or business department. It’s another arm of the university that is having success and I believe our guys have earned that opportunity (to play in the NCAAs).”

Anderson clinched its first Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship in 28 years and their first outright title since 1960-61. Ironically, that was the last team to advance to the national tournament as the 1960-61 team made the NAIA Sweet 16, losing to Willis Reed and Grambling in the quarterfinals.

“I was excited and glad the season wasn’t over,” said sophomore Andrew Bowman of his reaction to making the tournament. “It was definitely shocking to us, but its a pretty exciting feeling. We’ve worked for this all year so its good to see it pay off. We were disappointed Saturday, but its nice to know the work we put in finally paid off.”

No. 3 St. Thomas is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and will be making their fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance and 14th overall. The Tommies are 123-19 over the last five years – the best record in NCAA Div. III.

“They have a history of being good,” said Slyder. ‘They have been really good and they are in a league that has produced two NBA players in the last 10 years.”

The Anderson University men’s basketball team lost to Defiance College 70-65 on Saturday night in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference post-season tournament championship game at O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.

Andrew Bowman led the Ravens with 16 points, 13 rebounds, two assist and two blocks, hitting 7-of-13 field goals and both free throws. The sophomore was named to the All-Tournament Team with teammates Ty Riddle and Brock Morrison.

Riddle also finished with 16 points, including three 3-pointers, and Morrison added 13 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

The Ravens shot 43 percent from the field, including 59 in the second half, but made just 5-of-18 shots from 3-point range. Defiance finished at 44 percent shooting, including 8-of-17 from behind the arc.

The Yellow Jackets won the battle of the boards 41-33, including 14-12 on the offensive glass and 19-12 in second chance points. The visitors also had the edge in assists (13-12), blocks (3-2) and bench scoring (25-0) while the Ravens had the lead in points in the paint (36-32), turnovers (6-11), points off turnovers (13-10) and steals (4-3).\

Defiance led the entire first half, including 28-26 at the break, but Anderson finally caught the Yellow Jackets and took its first lead of the game on a 3-pointer by Miller with 17:25 left in the game. AU led by as many as six points at 39-33, but Defiance used an 11-1 run to reclaim the lead at 44-40 with 11:30 left.

AU would tie the game at 44, 46 and 49, but never take the lead again. They got as close as 58-57 with four minutes left and Riddle’s 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining made it 68-65, but two free throws by Defiance clinched the game.

Defiance earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III national tournament. The Ravens will have to wait till Monday morning in hopes of an at-large bid into the 61-team field.

AU finishes the season at 22-5 overall and 13-3 in the HCAC, clinching its first conference title since 1982 and its first outright championship since 1961.

The Anderson University men’s basketball team defeated rival Manchester College in the semifinals of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference post-season tournament on Friday night at O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.

Junior Andrew Jones hit the game-winning shot with 10.8 seconds left and the Ravens survived after Tyler Henn’s jumper in the lane rolled off the rim at the buzzer.

The Ravens (22-4) will play No. 3 seed Defiance College (22-5) on Saturday in the championship game at 7 p.m. The game will be carried live on the webcast as well as Stretch Internet and WQME 98.7 FM from O.C. Lewis Gymnasium. The winner earns the HCAC’s automatic bid in the NCAA Div. III national tournament next week.

The Yellow Jackets defeated No. 2 seed Hanover College 72-59 in the first semifinal on Friday night. The two teams split their two meetings this season with the home team winning each game.

Ty Riddle led the Ravens with 17 points, two rebounds and two assists, hitting 6-of-16 field goals, including five 3-pointers. His last trey broke Brent Ross’ 20-year-old record for 3-pointers made in a season of 81. Riddle also set the single season record for 3-point attempts on Friday night with 202.

Brock  Morrison was also in double figures with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists, hitting 5-of-9 shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers. Andrew Bowman had 12 points, six rebounds, three blocks and Gabe Miller added four points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

Phil Hogan came off the bench to add nine points, five rebounds, two assists and Zach Gray chipped in with six points off the bench. Jones finished with four points, including the game-winner.

AU shot 45 percent from the field, including 8-of-21 from 3-point range. Manchester finished at 49 percent shooting, including 54 in the second half when it outscored the hosts 31-30. The Spartans hit 3-of-12 behind the arc and 8-of-17 from the free throw line.

Manchester won the battle of the boards 34-29, including 9-6 on the offensive glass, which they translated into a 14-0 edge in second chance points. The Spartans also had the lead in points in the paint (38-28) and steals while the Ravens  had the advantage in assists (16-11), turnovers (12-13), points off turnovers (13-9) and blocks (4-2).

AU scored the first six points of the game and took its biggest lead of the game at 20-10, but Manchester used a 9-0 run to get back in the game and neither team led by more than seven points the rest of the half. The Ravens never trailed in the first 20 minutes, but led just 34-32 at the half.

AU led by as many as six points again early in the second half (47-41), but Manchester used an 8-0 run to take its first lead of the game at 52-49 with 10 minutes left in the game. The teams were tied three more times over the next five minutes and neither team led by more than three points in the final nine minutes.

Manchester took its last lead of the game on a layup with just under two minutes left at 63-62, but neither team could score until Riddle’s pass to Jones netted the game-winner.

The Anderson University men’s basketball team lost to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Hanover College 78-75 in overtime on Saturday at Collier Arena in Hanover.

Brock Morrison led the Ravens with 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists, hitting 5-of-9 field goals and 8-of-9 from the free throw line.

Andrew Bowman had 16 points, nine rebounds and Gabe Miller added 15 points, four assists and three steals. Ty Riddle was also in double figures with 14 points and three assists, including four 3-pointers. Andrew Jones chipped in with eight points and four rebounds.

Morrison’s three-point play with six seconds left in regulation forced overtime and the Ravens led 73-70 with two minutes left in the extra period. Hanover scored the next five points to take its first lead of overtime, but Morrison’s two free throws tied the game at 75 with a minute left.

The Panthers got an offensive rebound basket to take a two-point lead with 30 seconds left. AU shot three shots at the basket on the next possession, but two shots by Bowman and one by Morrison all missed their target. After a Hanover free throw, Riddle’s 3-pointer was off the mark at the buzzer.

AU shot 40 percent from the field, including 10-of-29 from 3-point range while Hanover was at 45 percent shooting, including only 2-of-19 from behind the arc.

No. 18 AU (21-4, 13-3 HCAC) will get a bye and host the HCAC post-season tournament next Friday and Saturday. The top-seeded Ravens will play the Manchester/Transylvania winner in the second semifinal on Friday night. The game will be carried live on the internet broadcast as well as WQME 98.7 FM at 8 p.m.