Embry-Riddle nabs at-large bids in men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments
The Embry-Riddle Eagles are going dancing.
Both the men’s and women’s programs learned their postseason fates during the NCAA Division II national tournament selection shows Sunday night, and both received good news.
The women’s team (20-9) grabbed the South Region’s sixth seed and will hit the road for a regional quarterfinal matchup with No. 3 Tampa (28-6) at noon Friday in Valdosta, Georgia. The men’s team (21-9) earned the South’s fifth seed and will take on Alabama Huntsville (21-10), a four seed, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Fort Lauderdale.
It’s the first time since transitioning from NAIA and becoming full NCAA Division II members in 2017 that the men and women have advanced this far in the same season.
The women’s team got its confirmation first during the 10:30 p.m. selection show that aired on NCAA.com. Embry-Riddle last qualified for the national bracket in 2018. That also marked the last — and only — time it hit 20 wins before this year.
The Eagles blazed to a 16-4 start this winter and finished with a 13-7 record against Sunshine State Conference foes. They reached the league semifinals Thursday. There, they fell 76-54 to the same Tampa group they’ll play Friday.
Tampa remains unbeaten in three meetings with Embry-Riddle this year.
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The men’s team will also square off against a familiar opponent, the NCAA announced during the ensuing 11 p.m. stream. The Eagles booked tickets to their fourth dance. And for the third consecutive March, they’ll compete against Alabama Huntsville. Embry-Riddle knocked the Chargers out of the 2022 postseason before they returned the favor in 2023.
After beginning the campaign 7-4, the Eagles caught fire once the calendar flipped to January. From Jan. 3 until the end of the regular season, they went 13-4, including seven wins in a row entering the conference playoffs. They lost to Barry in the semifinals 73-71 Thursday.
They have not faced Alabama Huntsville this season.
Each bracket includes 64 teams spread across eight regions.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: College basketball: Embry-Riddle men, women earn bids to NCAA brackets
