MIAA basketball tournaments open in Kansas City with Bearcats, Lopers as top seeds
Twenty years ago, the MIAA helped fill the college basketball tournament void in Kansas City. The Big 12 played away from its ancestral home for the first time, moving the event to Dallas. It was the first time the city was without a major tournament since 1944.
But the MIAA stepped in — and liked the Municipal Auditorium vibe so much it has remained in Kansas City ever since, except for 2021, when the tournament returned to campus sites because of the pandemic.
This year, the top 10 seeds in the 14-team league qualified for the men’s and women’s tournaments and both events begin Wednesday. The first game, Washburn vs. Missouri Southern men, tips off at noon.
The men’s top seed is Northwest Missouri State, and the Bearcats are looking to extend several impressive streaks. They’ve won 18 straight MIAA tournament games and the previous six championships at Municipal. The last loss in Kansas City came in the 2015 semifinal round.
Senior guard Diego Bernard leads Northwest at 16.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, as well as with 97 assists on the season. The Bearcats, who open play Thursday at noon, enter the tournament ranked second in Division II with a 27-2 record. They’ve won the previous three NCAA championships and four of the past five. The 2020 tournament was canceled because of the pandemic.
In the women’s tournament, Nebraska-Kearney, 27-3, enters as the top seed and will open on Thursday at 6 p.m. The Lopers are ranked No. 7 in Division II.
Bracket and ticket information can be found at TheMIAA.com.