Men's Basketball gets Pipers in MIAC semifinals
By Gene McGivern
Sports Information Director
The MIAC co-champion St. Thomas men's basketball team is ready to host a conference playoff game. After an eight-day layoff, the 20-5 Tommies will face the 12-14 Pipers of Hamline Thursday, Feb. 23, at Schoenecker Arena.
Tipoff is 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for students. The game will be Webcast by Hamline. (Click here then scroll to bottom to access webcast.)
With a victory, the Tommies will host the playoff finals Saturday (7:30 p.m.) vs. the Carleton-Gustavus winner. The playoff champion gets the MIAC's automatic berth into the Division III playoffs.
While St. Thomas is in the MIAC postseason event for the 18th time in 19 season, the Pipers are in the conference playoffs for just the fourth time, and first since 1994. UST has won its last five MIAC playoff semifinal games, four at home. Hamline is trying to become the first sixth-seed to reach the playoff finals since the playoff expanded in 2001.
St. Thomas is 19-2 at home over the last two seasons, including a 9-1 record in 2005-06. They beat Hamline at home Jan. 28 104-59 in a game the Toms shot 65 percent from the field to the Pipers' 33 percent. But UST was pushed to the wire in a 77-71 win at Hamline Dec. 5, and lost at Hamline 93-91 in January 2005.
For more information on the game, visit Tommie Sports Information or read more about the men's basketball team online.
