ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University Men's Basketball, after toppling second seeded Gwynedd Mercy University in the Atlantic East Tournament Championship game, 66-65, is making their preparations for the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
 
The Knights will travel to Beverly, Mass. for the First and Second round, starting on Friday. Neumann will take on the hosts, Endicott College in the first round with Franklin & Marshall and Cortland getting together in the other first round game.
 
The Knights are 19-9 overall and finished 8-6 in conference play, earning the fourth seed in the Atlantic East tournament. They are the lowest seed in conference history to take home the title after defeating No. 5 Marywood, 84-66, and No. 1 Marymount, 75-68, on their way to the title game against Gwynedd Mercy. This marks Neumann's second consecutive NCAA berth, and fifth in school history, all during the Jim Rullo era, which dates back to the 2013-2014 season.
 
Neumann is led by two-time Atlantic East Conference Player of the Year, Donte Dupriest. He finished second in the conference with 19.8 points per game, and first with 10.7 rebounds per game, which is in the top 20 in the nation. He is shooting at a percentage of 60.2% from the field, which also led the circuit, and is also top 20 in Division III. He is also top 10 in double-doubles with 15.
 
Certainly not to be ignored is DJ Earl who was named to the All-Conference First team earlier this week. He finished third in scoring in the conference with 18 points per game. He was also in the top 10 in three pointers, assists, and steals. Bryan Etienne and Jayson Love also averaged double-digit points with 15.2 and 14.6 per game, respectively. As a team, the Knights are in the top-20 in Division III in defensive rebounds.
 
This will be their first-ever meeting but Endicott is not a stranger to Neumann as they have played in the Mirenda Center before, but not against the Knights. Back in 2017, Neumann hosted the first and second round of the NCAA tournament and Endicott was the survivor of that pod with wins over Salisbury and Nichols. This year, the Gulls are 26-1 overall and were a perfect 16-0 in the Conference of New England. They defeated Nichols and Western New England on their way to the conference title.
 
The match-up between Neumann and Endicott is scheduled for a 6:30 PM tip-off. The winners from Friday will meet on Saturday in the second round of the tournament for an opportunity to advance to the third round on either March 13^th or 14^th. The sectional and semifinal rounds will be held in Fort Wayne, Ind. from March 19^th to the 21^st, and the championship in Indianapolis will be on April 5^th.
 
First Round Ticket Information:
Ticket Link
Tickets are good for both games! 4 pm Franklin & Marshall vs Cortland State 6 pm Endicott vs Neumann
Ticketing Policy: All tickets must be purchased through Eventbrite. No Cash sales will be offered at the door.
All seats will be general admission.
Tickets are $15 for all ages Children under 2 are free.
Doors will open 60 minutes prior to the game. All ticket holders must present a printed-out copy of their order or the QR code on their phone for admittance. NO REFUNDS