The Region 21 and East District champion Northern Essex Community College men’s basketball team has been named the eighth seed in the national tournament set to get underway on Wednesday March 12 on the campus of Herkimer College in Herkimer, NY.

The Knights will play an opening round game at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday March 12 against the ninth seeded and at-large tournament selection Dallas College Richland with the winner advancing to play top seeded Dutchess Community College on Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

Making their third consecutive national tournament appearance, the Knights will enter the tournament with a 28-3 overall record following their 83-80 victory over Quincy College on Sunday afternoon. Richland, the Region 5 runner-up enters with a 20-11 record after falling to Dallas Mountain View.

The Knights will head to New York with the third highest (second among tournament teams) scoring offense in the nation at 90.3, while ranking 16th in scoring defense at 70.8 points a game. Richland currently ranks 40th in scoring at 73.9 points per game while holding the opponent to just 65.2 points per game.

Individually, both teams have three players averaging double digit scoring, NECC is led by Alejandro Delgado (Haverhill) at 15 points per game, followed by Javien Kirmil (Lowell) and Alex Johnson (Worcester) with 11.8 and 10 apiece.

NECC will play an opening round game for the first time in the tournament, having received opening round byes each of the previous two seasons.

The national champion will be crowned on Saturday, March 15.

NATIONAL TOURNAMENT SEEDING:

1. Dutchess Community College
2. Mohawk Valley Community College
3. Minnesota State Community and Technical College
4. Sandhills Community College
5. Herkimer College
6. Union County College
7. Riverland Community College
8. Northern Essex Community College
9. Dallas College Richland
10. Salem Community College
11. Genesee Community College
12. Dallas College Mountain View