LANSING, Mich. - Great Lakes Christian College men's basketball came one point short in last season's NCCAA II national championship game. They return to the national tournament this year, and will face Faith Baptist Bible College in the first round of the tournament on Thursday at 3:00 EST in Joplin, Mo.
The Eagles of FBBC come into the national tournament on a five-game winning streak. They won the MCCC championship in Joplin on February 22, winning their semifinal and final games on buzzer-beaters, and had to come from behind twice more to win the NCCAA II North regional tournament. By winning the regional tournament, Faith earned an automatic bid into the NCCAA II national championship tournament and was awarded the number-six seed.
The two teams could not contrast each other more. While Great Lakes prefers a high-tempo game, Faith prefers to play half-court basketball, running their offense at a slower pace and placing an emphasis on rebounding. As a team, the Eagles rank second in the league in rebounding, averaging 45.6 boards per game. They rank 12th in scoring offense (80.5 points per game) and eighth in scoring defense (75.9 ppg)
The Eagles are a young team, led by freshman Nathan Keck, who averages 19.7 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore big Kaleb Sidlinger contributes 14.1 points per game and freshman guard Jayce Goergen leads the team with 4.5 assists per game. With only seven players on the roster, however, the Eagles may struggle to match GLCC's depth late in the game.
"Faith is a well-coached and physical basketball team," says Great Lakes head coach Richard Westerlund. "They will definitely be a challenge for us. We play two contrasting styles, which should make for a fun game. We're going to have to work very hard on imposing our tempo and style on Faith. We are excited for the matchup. We have our work cut out for us."
The game will be live-streamed by the NCCAA for a fee. Great Lakes will host a watch party for the game in the student mall in the administration building.