Warriors' Gateway To NCAA Tournament Begins In St. Louis

MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College will make its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history when it travels to Washington University in St. Louis for the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Tournament. The (RV) Warriors (24-4) will face the regional host (RV) Bears (18-7) on Friday, March 1 at 6:50 p.m. at WU Field House. Illinois College (23-4) will face Dubuque (21-6) in the other first round matchup at 4:20 p.m. The winners of the two first round games will meet in the second round on Saturday, March 2 at 6:50 p.m. Tickets to the games are $15 for adults, $10 for students, seniors and children 17 and under, and children two and under are free.

The Warriors enter the NCAA Tournament on a 10-game winning streak, their longest since winning a school-record 14-straight games in 1995-1996. WLC won its second NACC Tournament title after defeating Aurora (85-65), Rockford (71-55), and St. Norbert (78-62) in the conference tournament to secure the league's automatic bid. Wisconsin Lutheran has won a program-record 24 games, surpassing the previous school record 22-7 campaign from 1995-1996.

The Warriors, who finished the regular season with a perfect 15-0 home record, have relied on the league's top scoring offense, which averages 81.9 points per contest. WLC also leads the NACC in scoring margin (+12.8), three-pointers per game (8.7), field goal percentage (47.6), turnover margin (+4.6), and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.44), while ranking second in scoring defense (69.2 ppg), turnovers forced per game (15.9), and fewest turnovers per game (11.4), and third in assists per game (16.4), steals per game (9.2), three-point percentage (36.6), and three-point percentage defense (33.1). Nationally, Wisconsin Lutheran ranks in the top 50 in turnover margin (15th), scoring margin (19th), assist-to-turnover margin (20th), field goal percentage (33rd), three-point field goal percentage (34th), steals per game (41st), assists per game (43rd), and scoring offense (46th).

Two-time NACC Player of the Year, senior Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.), averages 17.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest while shooting nearly 52 percent (184-of-354) from the floor. He leads all NACC players in rebounding (243), rebounding average, offensive rebounds per game (2.9), and double-doubles (9). Senior Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.), a two-time First Team All-NACC selection, averages 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Two-time First Team All-NACC selection, senior Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.), averages 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He ranks first in the league in assists (135) and assists per game. Senior Jacob Hefle (Germantown, Wis.) leads the NACC in three-point percentage (42.9) and three-pointers made (73).

Seventh-year head coach Aaron Aanonsen, who is the only active men's basketball coach in the NACC to win four Coaching Staff of the Year awards, owns a 109-61 record at Wisconsin Lutheran. He boasts the highest winning percentage of any WLC men's basketball coach, including an 89-31 mark over the last five seasons. Aanonsen came to Milwaukee after spending nine seasons as head coach at Lakeland University.

The Warriors are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and first since 2006. WLC lost to No. 2 Hope 93-51 in its lone NCAA Tournament appearance on March 3, 2006 in Holland, Michigan. 

Friday's NCAA Tournament first round matchup marks the fifth meeting all-time between Wisconsin Lutheran and WashU, but the first since the 2005-2006 season. The Bears have won all four prior matchups, including an 80-65 decision in their most recent meeting on Dec. 3, 2005 in St. Louis. 

WashU received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after finishing third in the University Athletic Association (UAA) with an 18-7 overall record and an 8-6 mark in conference play. The Bears, who won back-to-back national championships in 2008 and 2009, are in the NCAA Tournament for the 28th time and own a 37-21 record in the postseason. WashU leads the UAA in rebounding margin (+7.2) and fouls per game (12.2). Junior First Team All-UAA selection, Hayden Doyle, leads the Bears at 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Second Team All-UAA honoree, sophomore Yogi Oliff, averages 6.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while sophomore Calvin Kapral, an All-UAA Honorable Mention, averages 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Pat Juckem is in his sixth season as head coach at WashU, compiling a 96-35 record. He served as head coach for seven seasons at Coe College and six years at UW-Oshkosh before taking over the Bears' program.