Inside the Field: Men's North Region Tournament
February 22, 2022 | by Taylor Pill
WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Sabercats have been given the #8 seed for the 2022 North Region Men's Basketball Tournament and will open play tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in a play-in against the #9-seeded Moody Bible Institute Archers. The winner will advance to the North Region 1st Round at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, February 24 against the top-seeded Trinity Bible College Lions in the single-elimination tournament.
Besides the North Region title, the winner of the North Region Championship will earn a berth at the 2022 NCCAA DII National Tournament.
The North Region Tournament will be held at Maranatha. Nationals will be held March 9-12 at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri.
SCHEDULE
Below is a schedule, with the Sabercats needing a win to qualify for each subsequent day of play.
| Date | Time | Matchup |
| Wednesday, 2/23 | 4:00 p.m. | Play-in |
| Thursday, 2/24 | 8:15 p.m. | 1st Round |
| Friday, 2/25 | 7:00 p.m. | Semifinal |
| Saturday, 2/26 | 5:00 p.m. | Championship |
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LINKS
TOURNAMENT HOMEPAGE :: SCHEDULE :: LIVE VIDEO :: LIVE STATS :: NCCAA POWER RATING SYSTEM
FORMAT
The format is single-elimination with seedings based on the modified NCCAA Power Rating System.
PARTICIPANTS
Below is an overview of the field:
| Institution | Location | Nickname | Record | Power Rating | 2021 Finish |
| #1 Trinity Bible | Ellendale, N.D. | Lions | 16-14 | 1.406 | Runner-up |
| #2 Central Christian | Moberly, Mo. | Saints | 14-14 | 0.462 | Semifinal |
| #3 Faith | Ankeny, Iowa | Eagles | 8-15 | 0.560 | 1st Round |
| #4 Oak Hills | Bemidji, Minn. | Wolfpack | 10-17 | 0.550 | 1st Round |
| #5 Emmaus | Dubuque, Iowa | Eagles | 9-17 | 0.375 | Semifinal |
| #6 Providence | Manitoba, Canada | Pilots | 6-8 | * | DNP |
| #7 Calvary | Kansas City, Mo. | Warriors | 4-18 | -0.169 | Champion |
| #8 Maranatha | Watertown, Wis. | Sabercats | 5-19 | -0.824 | 1st Round |
| #9 Moody | Chicago, Ill. | Archers | 0-14 | * | 1st Round |
*Did not meet game minimum for power rating system
Trinity (16-14, 5-2 North) comes into the tournament as the only team with a winning record. The Lions still have the sting of finishing as runners-up for two consecutive seasons, so they will be roaring into Watertown with a point to prove and a title to take.
The Lions open play in the first round at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday against the winner of #8 Maranatha/#9 Moody.
Central (14-14, 7-2 North) holds a 10-9 record against NCCAA opponents this season. The Saints will look to claim their first North Region title after merging into the North Region from the Southwest Region after the 2018-19 season. Central just took a semifinal loss to Manhattan Christian in the semifinals of the Midwest Christian College Conference Tournament.
The Saints open play in the first round at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday against #7 Calvary.
Faith (8-15, 5-7 North) doubled up the Sabercats this season with a couple of wins, and they've looked somewhat formidable against NCCAA competition this season. The Eagles just took two straight losses in the Midwest Christian College Conference Tournament and will look to bounce back with a North Region run.
The Eagles open play in the first round at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday against #6 Providence.
Oak Hills (10-17, 2-2 North) has historically been non-threatening in the North Region Tournament, but they enter this year's edition as one of just three teams with double-digit wins. The Wolfpack is also the only team in the field to have beaten the top-seeded Trinity Lions during the regular season. Could the Wolfpack be a dark horse?
The Wolfpack opens play in the first round at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday against #5 Emmaus.
Emmaus (9-17, 7-5 North) enters the tournament coming off a 2-1 showing at the Midwest Christian College Conference Tournament - a record that included wins over Calvary and Faith. The Eagles played NCCAA DII schools exclusively during the 2021-22 season.
The Eagles open play in the first round at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday against #4 Oak Hills.
Providence (6-8, 0-0 North) comes in as the question mark in everyone's minds, as they haven't played an NCCAA DII school during the 2021-22 season. The Pilots did not meet the game minimum to qualify for the NCCAA Power Ratings, but they were granted an exception due to cancellations caused by COVID-19 precautions.
The Pilots open play in the first round at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday against #3 Faith.
Calvary (4-18, 1-9 North) defends their title as the #7 seed, and they come in after losing their only game at the Midwest Christian College Conference Tournament. The Warriors played NCCAA opponents almost exclusively during the season and are now tasked with making a Cinderella run as a title defense.
The Warriors open play in the first round at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday against #2 Central.
Maranatha (5-19, 4-5 North) has struggled with consistency, especially during the first half of the season. But the Sabercats have managed to shift the momentum in their favor and come into the tournament after playing through arguably the strongest schedule during the 2021-22 season. Maranatha has topped Moody Bible twice during the season and will look to complete the trifecta when it matters most.
The Sabercats open play in the play-in game at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow against #9 Moody.
Moody (0-14, 0-3 North) comes in with nothing to lose after going winless during the 2021-22 season. Moody was in the same exact boat as Providence during the seeding announcement, as they had multiple games cancelled due to precautions regarding COVID-19 during the regular season.
The Archers open play in the play-in game at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow against #8 Maranatha.
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To follow the matches live, follow @MBUSabercats on Twitter and visit mbusabercats.com/schedule for live video and live stats links.
