UMD Men’s Basketball Hungry for Post Season
UMD will get the post season underway, Tuesday from Romano Gym, for a 3 PM tip-off.
DULUTH, Minn.- Game One of the Bulldogs post season journey tips off Tuesday afternoon for the men’s basketball team. The only thing standing in their way? The Mavericks of Minnesota State Mankato.
The last time these two teams matched up was back on January 7, ending in favor of UMD with an 86-75 final. Flash forward to now, and there’s a lot more riding on this game.
However, the Bulldogs are no strangers to the post season. Just last year the team made a run to to the conference championship game and the NCAA Regional Tournament. With that still on the mind, Head Coach Justin Wieck says his team is hungry to make a push but it all starts with Mankato.
“You can feel the intensity level picks up this time of the year, from both teams. We felt it last year in the conference tournament, we felt it last year in the NCAA tournament. There’s a different level of intensity when teams are playing for their season. There’s no next game if you lose. So, our guys are excited to play, we’ve got a really good team coming in here tomorrow. on Tuesday in Mankato so, every game is going to be tough, we’re going to be playing for their season, we’re playing for ours and I think that’s what makes this time of the year as exciting as it is,” says Wieck.
As for the guys, the focus in the locker room is of course, taking care of business against Mankato and laying it all on the line for each other in the process.
It definitely a different feeling. You know every game counts, just have to have the mentality of going 1-0, just winning that next game. So, it’s obviously more intense but we have an experienced group so we’re ready for it,” says senior guard Jack Middleton.
“They played really hard, we played really hard and we were able to come out with a win, we’re expecting the same thing tomorrow, to come out an play our hardest. All of us have already made that voucher to do all that we can for our team so, if we all do what we can, as best as we can, we’re looking to make that playoff run,” says senior guard Isaiah Watts.
UMD will get the post season underway, Tuesday from Romano Gym, for a 3 PM tip-off.
