Contains information from an official KIAC media release
FLORENCE, Ky. — The 2015-16 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket has been unveiled at KIACSports.com. The eight-team, single elimination tournament had its seedings and pairings finalized on Saturday, the final day of the regular season.
The KIAC Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off on Wednesday, Feb. 24 with four first-round games around the conference. Winners advance to the semifinals on Saturday, Feb. 27, and the finals are Tuesday, March 1. The higher seed hosts each individual game.
The KIAC Tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Championship March 9-15 at the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.
The top four teams from each of the KIAC Colonial and Capital Divisions qualified for the conference tournament. The top two seeds out of each division host playoff games in the first round, and the first-round matchups cross over the two divisions.
Indiana University East (18-12, 12-4 KIAC) is the No. 1 overall seed as the team with the best conference record in the KIAC. That earns the Red Wolves a guaranteed bid to the NAIA Division II national tournament. Indiana East enters the tournament as the champion of the KIAC Colonial Division and will host Asbury (Ky.) University (15-15, 7-9 KIAC), the No. 4 seed from the KIAC Capital Division, in the first round on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. at Earlham College.
The other first-round game in Indiana East’s half of the bracket features Cincinnati Christian University (20-8, 11-5 KIAC), the No. 2 seed from the KIAC Capital, hosting WVU Tech (16-13, 8-8 KIAC), the No. 3 seed from the KIAC Colonial. That matchup tips off Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College is the other No. 1 seed and has home-court advantage throughtout the tournament, a right earned with a victory over IU East Feb. 16. The Eagles (16-11, 11-5 KIAC) are the champions of the KIAC Capital Division and host the University of Rio Grande (17-13, 7-9 KIAC), the No. 4 seed from the KIAC Colonial, on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
Also in Alice Lloyd’s half of the bracket is Point Park (Pa.) University, the No. 2 seed from the KIAC Colonial. The Pioneers (16-10, 9-7 KIAC) host Brescia (Ky.) University (15-12, 9-7 KIAC), the No. 3 team from the KIAC Capital, on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
Follow the KIAC Men’s Basketball Tournament online at KIACSports.com, on Twitter @KIACSports and @KIACScores using hashtag #KIAC and on Facebook.com/KIACSports.
Every KIAC Tournament game will be streamed live online on the KIAC Game Central presented by Stretch Internet. KIAC Game Central subscriptions are $7.99 per game, $19.99 for the entire men’s basketball tournament (7 Games) or $49.99 for the all-access pass for all KIAC championship events throughout the year.
The KIAC Game Central presented by Stretch Internet is the official video streaming platform of KIAC championships. KIAC partner Stretch Internet is the official video provider of the conference and of the NAIA and the NAIA Network. Watch live or on-demand at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/KIAC.