The Red Wolves are headed back to the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship.

The Indiana University East men’s basketball team will face No. 15 seed Warner (Fla.) University on March 8 in the first round of the 32-team event in Point Lookout, Mo. First-round games are March 7 and 8 at the College of the Ozarks’ Keeter Gymnasium. The Red Wolves (24-7) and the Royals (23-10) tip off at 2:45 p.m. IU East time on Thursday, March 8.

IU East students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the Red Wolves Nation: Live National Tournament Streaming Party beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday to watch the game live in the Graf Center, located in Springwood Hall.

The winner will face No. 2 seed Oregon Institute of Technology or Lourdes College in the round of 16 on March 9, also at 2:45 p.m.

The Red Wolves are one of 10 teams to receive an at-large bid to attend the national tournament. The full bracket is available online.

IU East played Warner (then known as Warner Southern) in 2009 during the Cincinnati Christian Tipoff Classic. The Royals beat the Red Wolves 68-61. IU East cut a 16-point Warner lead to three in the final minute, but the Red Wolves’ comeback bid came up short.

Current IU East seniors David Sanders (Indianapolis, Ind./Beech Grove High School) and Devon Niehoff (Rushville, Ind./Rushville High School) both started for the Red Wolves in that 2009 matchup. Sanders finished with six points and three assists. Niehoff had three points and seven rebounds.

This year Warner finished third in The Sun Conference regular season standings and was runner-up in The Sun Conference tournament. The Royals finished 17th in the final NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Poll.

Warner has made three previous NAIA Division II National Championship appearances, most recently in 2003. The Royals have a 7-3 record at the national tournament.

IU East (24-7) was 20th in the Top 25 poll. It’s the second consecutive trip to the national tournament for the Red Wolves, who are in just their fifth NAIA season.

For more information and updates, visit iueredwolves.com for updates.