DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque men's basketball team played one of their best defensive games of the season to capture the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Tournament Championship to earn the automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championships. This is head coach Robbie Sieverding's third journey to post-season play and the school's seventh time. The 2022 A-R-C champions thwarted off the tenacious Beavers and captured the game 71-52.

Buena Vista led by as much as four points, but it was the Spartans who dominated by holding the lead for 34:57. UD led by as many as 23 points in their 21st victory of the 2021-22 season. The Spartans cooled the hot shooting Beavers and held them to 21 points in the first half and 32.1% shooting from the field for the game. UD challenged the Beavers on every shot and would crash the boards and out rebounded the #2 seeded Beavers 48-30 and scored 21 points off second chance opportunities. The Spartans bench would out score BV 25-9 and would finish the night sinking 19-26 free throw attempts.

Peter Ragen led the Spartans with a quiet 15 points (10-10 at the free throw line) and 14 rebounds. Brock Simon sank 3-5 three point attempts to add 14 points and Josh Hammer scored 10 points and had six rebounds. Jaylin McCants came off the bench to finish with nine points, three assists and one block.

The NCAA will announce the 64 team field on Monday, Feb. 28 at 11:30 a.m. (CST).

The DIII men's basketball championship selection show will be live streamed here on NCAA.com Monday, February 28 at 12:30 p.m. ET. Shortly after the show, the bracket will be live here. The championship game will be March 19 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Arena in Fort Wayne, Indiana.