BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2023 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Men's Basketball Playoffs got underway with a pair of quarterfinal contests on Tuesday night. Both road teams came away with upset victories in the opening round, as No. 5 St. Olaf topped No. 4 Macalester, 56-54, while No. 6 Hamline outlasted No. 3 Saint Mary's, 90-84, in double-overtime.
Friday night's semifinal matchups are now set. The Oles will head to Collegeville to take on No. 2 Saint John's, while the Pipers will square off with regular season conference champion and No. 1 seed Carleton. Both games are set to tip off at 7:00 p.m. Friday on the home courts of the top two seeds.
NO. 5 ST. OLAF 56, NO. 4 MACALESTER 54 | Box Score |
In a back-and-forth game that saw seven lead changes and neither team go ahead of the other by more than six points, No. 5 St. Olaf finished off a 56-54 win over No. 4 Macalester. Ole forward Nathan Hendler led the team with 18 points, including seven on free throws, while guard Connor Martin scored eight and came away with four steals on the defensive end. Macalester guard Caleb Williams led all players with 21 points in the game.
NO. 6 HAMLINE 90, NO. 3 SAINT MARY'S 84 (2OT) | Box Score |
In just the third double-overtime game in MIAC Men's Basketball Playoff history - and the first since 1993 - No. 6 Hamline outlasted No. 3 Saint Mary's, 90-84. The game saw 14 lead changes and 11 ties, though neither team ever held a lead greater than eight points. The Pipers' dynamic duo of Bradley Cimperman and Austin Holt was exactly that, with Cimperman scoring a game-high 36 points - including the go-ahead layup with 1:34 left in the second overtime - and Holt contributing a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double. Breyton Buysman led the Cardinals with 26 points and a 6-for-12 mark from beyond the arc. Raheem Anthony - who fouled out of the game with two seconds left in regulation - also posted an 18-point, 12-rebound effort for SMU.
SEMIFINALS SET FOR FRIDAY
The 2023 MIAC Men's Basketball Playoffs will continue with two semifinal contests on Friday, February 24.
No. 6 Hamline at No. 1 Carleton | 7:00 PM |
Carleton swept the season series and holds a 1-0 advantage all-time over the Pipers in the MIAC Playoffs. The two programs previously met in the 2010 conference quarterfinals, where No. 4 Carleton defeated No. 5 Hamline, 71-63. Carleton went on to win the MIAC Playoff title and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 5 St. Olaf at No. 2 Saint John's | 7:00 PM |
The Oles and Johnnies split their season series with each team claiming a victory on their home court. The two programs have met in the conference tournament three times before - all in the semifinals. This will also be the third consecutive postseason to feature Saint John's hosting St. Olaf in the semifinal round. SJU holds a 2-1 advantage all-time against St. Olaf in the MIAC Playoffs, with the Oles winning the first meeting in 2016 and the Johnnies claiming the next two in 2020 and 2022.
The winners of Friday's semifinal games will meet in the MIAC Men's Basketball Playoff Championship Game, which is set for 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 26 on the home court of the highest remaining seed. The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the postseason championship plaque and the conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament.
2023 MIAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals | Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023 | 5:00 p.m. |
No. 6 Hamline 90, No. 3 Saint Mary's 84 (2OT) | Box Score |
No. 5 St. Olaf 56, No. 4 Macalester 54 | Box Score |
Semifinals | Friday, Feb. 24, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. |
No. 6 Hamline at No. 1 Carleton
No. 5 St. Olaf at No. 2 Saint John's
Championship | Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 | 2:00 p.m. |
Highest remaining seed will host
GAME TIMES ARE TENTATIVE