Elite Eight Set at the 2008 NAIA D-II Men's Basketball Championship

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. - The Elite Eight is set as three of the top eight seeds advanced to the quarterfinal round which will begin Saturday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m. Two teams from both the Mid-Central College (Grace and Bethel) and Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conferences (Bellevue and College of the Ozarks) complete half of the eight-team field. The 2008 event is being held at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks (Mo.).

Ninth seed Bethel (Ind.) began second round action with a 86-81 win over unseeded Ottawa (Kan.). The Pilots return to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1999. They will play top-seed Bellevue (Neb.) who outlasted 16th seed Aquinas (Mich.), 65-61. The Bruins are the first number one seed to advance to the Elite Eight since 2003.

13th seed Northwood (Fla.) registered the first big upset of the day with a 66-59 win over fourth-seed Walsh (Ohio). The Seahawks, in just their second year as a basketball program, will play fifth seeded Northwestern (Iowa), who needed overtime to knock off Oklahoma Wesleyan, 86-85. The Red Raiders advance to the quarterfinals for the seventh time.

Defending champion MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) kept their back-to-back title hopes alive as they eliminated a tough Cedarville squad, 79-73. The second seeded Pioneers will face the host school, 10th-seeded College of the Ozarks (Mo.), who knocked off Eastern Oregon, 65-42. The Bobcats held the Mountaineers to a record low 42 points, just 19 in the second half.

Unseeded Grace (Ind.) registered the biggest upset of the tournament with a 90-81 overtime win over third seed Morningside (Iowa). The Lancers outscored Morningside 18-9 in the extra period and return to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1992. They will play Oregon Tech in the final game tomorrow night as the Hustlin Owls upset Evangel, 72-63. Oregon Tech is into the Elite Eight for the sixth time.

The 32-team, single elimination tournament continues with the Elite Eight tomorrow, March 15. Top-seeded Belleuve will play #9 Bethel (Ind.) in the first game at 1:00 pm, followed by three other quarterfinal contests. The semifinals will be on Monday, March 17 with the championship game on Tuesday, March 18 at 8:30 pm.

Saturday's Elite Eight Games:
#9 Bethel (Ind.)(29-6) vs. #1 Bellevue (Neb.)(31-3), 1:00 pm
#13 Northwood (Fla.)(27-7) vs. #5 Northwestern (Iowa)(29-4), 3:00 pm
#10 Ozarks (Mo.)(27-5) vs. #2 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)(30-4), 6:00 pm
Grace (Ind.)(26-9) vs. #11 Oregon Tech (28-6) - 8:00 pm

Friday's Second Round Games:
#9 Bethel (Ind.)(29-6) def. Ottawa (Kan.)(24-9), 86-81
#1 Bellevue (Neb.)(31-3) def. #16 Aquinas (Mich.)(25-9), 65-61
#13 Northwood (Fla.)(27-7) def. #4 Walsh (Ohio)(26-5), 66-59
#5 Northwestern (Iowa)(29-4) def. Oklahoma Wesleyan (26-8), 86-85 OT
#2 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)(30-4) def. #15 Cedarville (Mich.)(23-8), 79-73
Grace (Ind.)(26-9) def. #3 Morningside (Iowa)(29-4), 90-81 OT
#10 College of the Ozarks (Mo.)(27-5) def. #7 Eastern Oregon (26-6), 65-42
#11 Oregon Tech (27-6) def. #6 Evangel (Mo.)(28-6), 72-63

Thursday First Round Games:
#13 Northwood (Fla.)(26-7) def. Bluefield (Va.)(25-8), 88-86
#4 Walsh (Ohio)(26-4) def. Judson (Ill.)(19-9), 91-57
#5 Northwestern (Iowa)(28-4) def. Minot State (N.D.)(19-12), 97-90
Oklahoma Wesleyan (26-7) def. #12 William Penn (Iowa)(28-6), 75-73
#3 Morningside (Iowa)(29-3) def. Indiana Tech (21-13), 73-67
Grace (Ind.)(24-9) vs. #14 Embry-Riddle (Fla.)(27-6), 5:45 pm
#11 Oregon Tech (27-6) def. Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio)(23-8), 77-74
#6 Evangel (Mo.)(28-6) def. Menlo (Calif.)(18-10), 73-48

Wednesday First Round Scores:
Ottawa (Kan.)(24-8) def. 38 King (Tenn.)(26-8), 70-65
#16 Aquinas (Mich.)(25-8) def. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)(24-9), 91-66
#1 Bellevue (Neb.)(30-3) def. St. Joseph (Vt.)(13-15), 111-52
#9 Bethel (Ind.)(28-6) def. Warner Pacific (Ore.)(22-11), 86-73 OT
#15 Cedarville (Ohio)(23-7) def. Jamestown (N.D.)(23-9), 83-59
#7 Eastern Oregon (26-5) def. Edward Waters (Fla.)(20-12), 93-62
#10 College of the Ozarks (Mo.)(26-5) def. Indiana-Southeast (24-9), 91-82
#2 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)(29-4) def. Friends (Kan.)(19-12), 82-66