INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Centenary College will face University of Texas-Dallas at the Comets' home court in the first round of the 2020 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. NCAA Release
Centenary (18-9) and UT-Dallas (21-6) are part of a four-team pod (first and second rounds) to be played at Dallas. In the other first-round matchup, American Southwest Conference Tournament champion Le Tourneau University (24-4) will take on Whitworth University (21-6), winners of the Northwest Conference. Friday's winners will play on Saturday, March 7 with a berth to the round of 16 on the line.
Sixteen sites will host four teams for first and second-round competition Friday-Saturday, March 6-7. Second-round winners will advance to one of eight third-round sites Friday-Saturday, March 13-14. Winners of the eight third-round games will advance to the quarterfinals and semifinals March 20 and 21. Winners of the two semifinal contests will advance to the final April 5. All games, except the quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals, will be played on the campuses of competing institutions. The quarterfinals, semi- finals and finals, will be conducted at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN. The final will be conducted at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA.
Centenary won its first-ever Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship with a 77-56 victory over the Texas Lutheran. The Gents have won their last 10 games heading into NCAA tournament play.
UT-Dallas is making its second consecutive NCAA appearance. The ASC East Division champion Comets were upset in the semifinal round of this year's ASC tournament, losing to East Texas Baptist, 59-45, in the semifinal round and snapping their nine-game winning streak.