BLOOMFIELD, N.J. - Bloomfield College men's basketball received an at-large bid Sunday night in the upcoming NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament, as announced by NCAA.com during its official selection show. The Bears earned the No. 7 seed in the Big Dance after posting a 22-7 record during the 2017-18 campaign and will face second-seeded, Saint Thomas Aquinas College in the first round of the East Regional on Saturday, March 10th on the campus of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. The time for tip-off of the opening round match up will be 2:30 pm.
 
Bloomfield will make their 8^th NCAA Tournament appearance under 2017-18 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Head Coach of the Year, Gerald Holmes. The Bears, who are making their first back-to-back trips to the regional since 2013 and 2014, feature three All-CACC team members and are the only league squad to ever capture the NCAA East Regional Championship, that coming in 2011.
 
"We got another shot," Holmes said of the selection.  "We have another opportunity to extend our season and to accomplish something great as a team. I can only hope our players seize this chance and are ready to put forth the effort needed. This Saturday is the first step."
 
"There is nothing like NCAA Tournament basketball and I am so proud our team have been selected to be a part of this year's field of 64," athletic director Sheila Wooten said of the men's basketball program selection. "We encourage the student-athletes to strive for excellence on and off the court and this team gives our entire campus something to get excited about."
 
Saint Thomas Aquinas earned the No. 2 seed in the region after winning their third-straight East Coast Conference Championship Sunday afternoon and posted a 26-6 overall record. The Spartans will square off with the Bears for the second time this season. Bloomfield will look to avenge an, 83-79, overtime loss that came on Nov. 29^th but this time with the stakes just a little bit higher.   
 
2018 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball East Regional
1. Le Moyne College (24-6) [NE10 automatic berth]
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (26-6) [ECC automatic berth]
3. University of Bridgeport (25-5)
4. Saint Anselm College (22-8)
5. The College of Saint Rose (20-9)
6. Merrimack College (19-11)
7. Bloomfield College (22-7)
8. Jefferson (21-13) [CACC automatic berth]
 
Regional Schedule (all played at Henninger Athletic Center's Ted Grant Court, Syracuse, N.Y.)
March 10 – First Round games
12 p.m.            Game No. 1. – Merrimack vs. Bridgeport
2:30 p.m.         Game No. 2 – Bloomfield vs. St. Thomas Aquinas
5 p.m.              Game No. 3 – Jefferson vs. Le Moyne
7:30 p.m.         Game No. 4 – Saint Rose vs. Saint Anselm
 
March 11 – Regional Semifinals
5 p.m.              Game No. 5. (Winner Game No. 1 vs. Winner Game No. 2)
7:30 p.m.         Game No. 6. (Winner Game No. 3 vs. Winner Game No. 4)
 
March 13 – Regional Championship Game
7 p.m.              Game No. 7. (Winner Game No. 5 vs. Winner Game No. 6)
 
National Schedule (all played at Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, S.D.)
March 21 – National Quarterfinals
March 22 – National Semifinals
March 24 – National Championship Game
 
Ticket and broadcast information will also be announced early in the week.
 
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