The Wesley College men's basketball team will travel to Lancaster, Pa., and face host Franklin & Marshall College in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championships on Friday (3/6).

The Wolverines (18-9) are making their first NCAA appearance in program history after defeating Marymount (Va.) 64-51 in the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) Championship game.  Wesley's 18 wins are a school record during the Division III era.

Franklin & Marshall (22-5), which was the top seed in the Centennial Conference playoffs, fell to Gettysburg in the tournament championship game.  The winner of that contest will face the winner of the Scranton/Brandeis game, also in Lancaster on Saturday (3/9). 

The Royals are 21-6 and advanced to the tournament after winning the Landmark Conference.  The Judges are 17-8 and finished second in the University Athletic Association.

The Wolverines, in just their second season in the CAC, are the only conference team in this year's 60-team field.  

CAC regular-season champion St. Mary's (Md.), which was the top-ranked team in the region heading into the conference tournament, lost in the semifinal round to Marymount (Va.) and finished with a 21-5 overall record.  St. Mary's was the defending CAC champion and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

To view the NCAA Division III men's basketball bracket, click here.