Voice’s random thoughts from UWW’s championship weekend in Salem, Virginia

Adjacent photo courtesy of Leah Thyne, UW-Whitewater Athletics

• UW-Whitewater’s amazing 63-60 come-from-behind national championship win over Cabrini showed the grit that made the 2012 Warhawks the third men’s basketball national championship team in school history.

• The writing on the chest of the Warhawk fan on the right in the adjacent photo was taken to heart by the Hawks in a “comeback for the ages” in the second half of U-Dub-Dub’s D III title win on Saturday night.

• Whitewater was all but left for dead trailing No. 5 Cabrini 47-29 with 14 minutes, 41 seconds left in the game. Whitewater then dominated play the remainder of the game outscoring Cabrini 34 to 16 with senior’s Alex Edmunds and Chris Davis “finishing it” with clutch points in the final two minutes.

• It was my first year as the “radio voice” of Warhawk basketball back in 1989 – it was the last time the men’s basketball team won the D III national title. I was sitting on media row for the Warhawks action at the Salem Civic Center Saturday evening. I said to myself, “self,” I want to go over and join the amazing UWW fans in the stands to hopefully cheer the Hawks to the national championship.

• I wanted to sit with some of the best Warhawk men’s basketball supporters there is. Dan “Doc” Hornickel, Jim Boyd, Therese Kennedy and “Sparky” Sparks.

• I have been around Warhawk basketball for a longtime and one of my lasting memories will be the passion which my friends were exhibiting every second of those final five minutes. Imploring there team to “finish the mission” of winning the title.

• At game’s end the emotions exhibited by the group said it all for me. The elation and tears reminded me once again that the success for Warhawk basketball, football

• I would like to thank the UWW students for making this championship run very, very special for me. You were the talk of the town in the games leading up to Salem. One veteran NCAA official told me during the title game that “we have never seen such great student support here in Salem.”

• One of the big stories all week was the Whitewater coach Pat Miller was looking to be part of a Division III basketball title both as a player (1989) and as a head coach this season.

• All week long Miller attempted to deflect those questions instead putting all the focus on his players – it was very classy.

• That said, for longtime UWW men’s basketball fans, Pat Miller achieving the 2012 national championship is something very special.

• Miller’s mentor, Dave "Augie" Vander Meulen taught him well didn’t he?

• Warhawk fans, you are very fortunate to have Gary Douglas as the “radio voice” for Warhawk basketball. He is among the best sports announcers in the state of Wisconsin. That is an undisputable fact!

• I want to thank my friends at KOOL 106.5 for allowing me to put together the halftime features for this year’s basketball broadcasts. To still be part of the Warhawk broadcasts has been very important to me.

• Finally – thank you to the 2012 Division III National Champions. The memories that you have brought me and the rest of “Warhawk nation” have been priceless.

• That said, for longtime UWW men’s basketball fans Miller achieving the 2012 national championship is something very special.

• Miller’s mentor, Dave "Augie" Vander Meulen taught him well didn’t he?

• Warhawk fans, you are very fortunate to have Gary Douglas as the “radio voice” for Warhawk basketball. He is among the best sports announcers in the state of Wisconsin. That is an undisputable fact!

• I want to thank my friends at KOOL 106.5 for allowing me to put together the halftime features for this year’s basketball broadcasts. To still be part of the Warhawk broadcasts has been very important to me.

• Finally – thank you to the 2012 Division III National Champions. The memories that you have brought me and the rest of “Warhawk nation” have been priceless.

Warhawks storm back to claim 2012 national championship

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater overcame an 18-point second half deficit to earn a thrilling 63-60 victory over Cabrini College (Pa.) in the NCAA Division III men’s basketball national championship game at Salem Civic Center on March 17.

Whitewater trailed 47-29 with 15 minutes remaining, then outscored Cabrini 26-8 over the next 12 minutes, tying it at 55 on Chris Davis’ 3-pointer with 3:19 remaining.

Chris Davis gave the Warhawks a 59-57 lead on a basket with 1:13 remaining, and hit two free throws with under a minute left to make it 61-57.Cabrini’s John Boyd had a three-point play with 43.9 seconds left to cut it to 61-60, but Alex Edmund’s layup with 15.4 seconds remaining gave the Warhawks a 63-60 lead.

Boyd and Aaron Walton-Moss missed 3-pointers for Cabrini in the final seconds.

Edmunds and Alex Merg added 11 points each for Whitewater.

The national title for the Warhawks, who finished the 2012 campaign with a 29-4 record, is the third in program history after winning the walnut and bronze trophy in 1984 and 1989.

UW-Whitewater becomes the first school in NCAA Division III history to win a football national championship and men’s basketball national crown in the same academic year.

To view the WKOW TV 27 coverage of Saturday night's national championship victory CLICK HERE

Welcome to "Championship night" at the Salem Civic Center Warhawk style

Welcome to the Salem Civic Center here in Salem, Virginia. The UW-Whitewater commercial media crew has just arrived about 2 hours 45 minutes prior to tonight's NCAA Division III men's basketball championship game between the Warhawks and Cabrini (PA).

To link to the KOOL 106.5 Warhawk broadcast with Gary Douglas CLICK HERE

To link to the official NCAA video feed of tonight's game CLICK HERE

To access tonight Live Stats CLICK HERE

To follow Daily Jefferson County Union sports editor's twitter feed live from Salem THIS EVENING CLICK HERE

The 2012 D3hoops.com All-America team has been announced

The 2012 D3hoops.com All-America team has been announced. As expected, UW-Whitewater's Chris Davis in a first team selection.

No other WIAC players were selected to one of the four teams or honorable

The 2012 Division III Player and Coach of the Year will be announced just prior to tonight's U-Dub-Dub vs. Cabrini national championship game this evening.

When the announcement is announced I will post it here on the blog.

To access the 2012 D3hoops.com All-America team CLICK HERE

Warhawk fans enjoying St. Patrick's Day here in downtown Roanoke

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everybody.

For Warhawk fans who have made the trek to the Roanoke Valley for the Final Four today has been a day to recover from last night’s semifinal win over MIT and get focused in for tonight’s national championship game vs. Cabrini (PA).

“Getting focused” has been aided today by taking in Roanoke’s St. Patrick’s Day Carnival, which has resulted to 30,000 people crammed into downtown Roanoke today – tonight it is expected that 50,000 will be celebrating. It is the largest tourist weekend of the year!

I have personally did some investigating a number of downtown bars and have found out that when Whitewater comes to town (this tourney marks the 8th time “Warhawk Nation” has converged on the Roanoke Valley for a Division III championship weekend) the cash register will ring for the entire weekend.

In the adjacent photo – VIP Warhawk fans pose for a photo Friday afternoon at the Hotel Roanoke.

The Warhawk students were “loud and proud” Friday night and were by far the No. 1 student crowd among the four here at the Final Four.

Minutes after Whitewater advanced on Friday night the texts and phone calls were flooding the smart phones of Hawk fans here in Roanoke. The message – we’re jumping in the car and will be out to Salem by game time tonight.

In the words of New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott - CAN’T WAIT!!!!!!!

Warhawks roll into national championship game

UW-Whitewater, the number six defense in Division III, held MIT scoreless for a six minute stretch of the second half as UW-W reeled off a 14-2 run in a 71-56 win in a NCAA III tournament semifinal game in Salem, Virginia Friday.

Whitewater held MIT to 40% shooting, 36% in the second half, including 3-20 from three point range. UW-W shot 44%, just 2-11 from long range. The Warhawks made 21-31 free throws, MIT 11-15. UW-W had a 38-30 rebound advantage, and forced 15 turnovers while committing ten.

Chris Davis, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and D3hoops.com West Region Player of the Year, led both teams with 30 points. Sophomore guard Eric Bryson (Elkhorn) earned a double double, ten points and ten rebounds for the Warhawks. The Engineers had four players score in double figures, led by junior center Will Tashman's 15 points and game high 14 rebounds. Whitewater's Alex Merg had a game high five assists.

For complete game story CLICK HERE

In Friday's first semifinal junior guard Jeremy Knowles hit a three-pointer, his only three of the game, with 3.6 seconds left to give Cabrini College an 81-78 win over Illinois Wesleyan University. Senior guard John Boyd, who came into the game averaging 10.9 points per contest, scored 34 points for the Cavaliers, 24 of those coming in the first half. Jordan Zimmer led IWU with 19. Cabrini, 31-1, and IWU, 24-8, combined for 53 three-point attempts.

Whitewater, 28-4, will play Cabrini College, 31-1, in the Division III championship game Saturday at 6:00 p.m. (Central Time) in the Salem Civic Center.

Are You Ready for some Final Four Basketball?

The adjacent photo courtesy of Jeff Seisser/Daily Jefferson County Union

Welcome everybody to the Salem Civic Center here in Salem, Virginia site of the 2012 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Final Four.

Gary Douglas, Jeff Seisser and I arrived at the Civic Center about an hour ago.

Tonight’s first semifinal game has No. 5 Cabrini (30-1) vs. Illinois Wesleyan (23-7). Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. Central Time.

Game-two tonight has No. 3 MIT (29-1) vs. No. 8 UW-Whitewater (27-4). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Central Time.


Get behind the scenes reports and updates on both games by clicking on Jeff Seisser’s Twitter page.

To access the site CLICK HERE

Cornerstone Bar & Grill a favorite for UWW fans when here in the Roanoke-Salem area.

UW-Whitewater's return to the Salem-Roanoke area just three months removed from the Warhawk football team winning a third consecutive NCAA Division III football championship was welcome news for a number of local establishments.

One of the favorite "watering holes" over the past several years has been the Cornerstone Bar & Grill in downtown Roanoke. The establishment has become a favorite for Warhawk fans.

Warhawk "superfan" Jim Boyd is one of the Cornerstone's favorites from Whitewater. How much of a favorite is he? When arriving for lunch at the Cornerstone earlier today the Whitewater media contingent was presented a petition that is seeking to "draft" Boyd to run for major of Roanoke.

Boyd tells Voice's Warhawks Road to the Final Four Blog that he is honored but has not made an official decision as to if he will be a mayoral candidate.

Boyd, along with other Warhawk fans, will be making a postgame appearance tonight at the Cornerstone.

How to access Warhawk Final Four action this weekend

UW-Whitewater men's basketball team has a "shoot-a-round" set for early this afternoon over at the Salem Civic Center. Pregame meal is set for I believe 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Division 3 Men's Basketball Final 4: Cabrini v. Illinois Wesleyan at 5 p.m, UW-Whitewater v. MIT 7 p.m. CDT.

Tonight's U-Dub-Dub game can be heard live locally on KOOL 106.5 The Radio Voice of the Warhawks - Gary Douglas will have the call beginning at 5:50 p.m. CDT.

To access the audio stream of tonight's KOOL 106.5 game broadcast CLICK HERE

Daily Jefferson County Union Sports Editor Jim Seisser has been tweeting all week long on the Hawks Road to the Final Four. To access Seisser's Twitter page CLICK HERE

To access Tom "Voice" Pattison's Warhawks Road to Final Four Blog CLICK HERE

Basketball team "having a ball" out here at the Final Four

The UW-Whitewater men's basketball team is absolutely "having a ball" out here in the Roanoke Valley in preparation for this weekend's NCAA Divison III Final Four.

The team attended last nights "Champions Banquet" at the Salem Civic Center.

While the team is enjoying its first trip to the Final Four since 1989 to a man they talk about the real reason for the journey - to win the Division III National Championship this weekend.

The Warhawks take on M-I-T tonnight in the NCAA Division Three Final Four from Salem, Virginia. Gary Douglas will have the play-by-play starting at 6:50 (CentraL Time) on KOOL 106.5.

To listen to the "audio stream" of tonight's game CLICK HERE

D3hoops.com published a story this morning on UW-Whitewater's drive to the Final Four.

To read the story CLICK HERE

It is gameday for the Hawks

Welcome to Friday morning in the Roanoke Valley! The weather is much different than we have experienced the past seven years during Stagg Bowl week with the UW-Whitewater football team. 81 degrees is forecast for both today and tomorrow. That is Spring Break weather!

Seisser and I will be joing Gary Douglas later this morning for an hour special live from Roanoke.

The special will be heard live this morning on AM940 WFAW beginning at 8:30 a.m. Central time.

CLICK HERE to listen LIVE to the Warhawk men's basketball Final Four special

Seisser and Pattison arrive late last night in Roanoke

UW-Whitewater men's basketball media veterans Jeff Seisser and Tom Pattison arrived in Roanoke about 10:30 last night. The arrival culminated 15 hours on the road.

Pattison made the mistake of getting caught in the wrong lane on the Kennedy Expressway approaching downtown Chicago. The goof forced the duo to exit on Ohio Street and take an unexpected "tour" of the loop. It added an extra 45 minutes to our journey but is was actually pretty cool.

Our route out took us down to Indianapolis - over the Dayton, Ohio - then down through southern Ohio down to Charleston, West Virginia. We then spent about five hours driving through the mountains prior to arriving in Roanoke - BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.

We got to listen to the Whitewater-Fort girls sectional game on Seisser's "smart" phone t ravelling through the mountains. Great game! Congratulations to the Whippets on a great win!

I was really tired last night but am up and raring to go. We've got a baskeball game to win tonight.

Talk more later this morning..

Voice

New Poll Question: Who wins on Friday - Whitewater or MIT

Hey UW-Whitewater men’s basketball fans, who do you think will win Friday night’s UWW vs. MIT Division III national semifinal game.

You have the chance to let your voice be heard by voting on the brand new warhawksroadtofinalfour.blogspot.com poll question that is located on the upper right quadrant of this page.

Your choices are:
Whitewater wins by 10 pts or less
Whitewater wins by 10 pts or more
MIT wins by 10 pts or less
MIT wins by 10 pts or more

The previous poll question that concluded earlier today asked who your favorite Warhawk player is this season.

Chris Davis was the runaway winner garnering 40% of the votes.

Lucas Burns was second with 20% of the votes

Cody Odegard finished third with 13% of the votes.

Miller appears on Lucas and Lepay Radio Show on the Big 1070 in Madison

On Wednesday morning’s Lucas and Lepay show on the Big 1070 (WTSO Sports Radio) in Madison veteran UW-Whitewater men’s basketball coach Pat Miller ppeared on the show for an 11 minute segment.

Props to Tim Scott and company, were filling in for Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas who are out in Albuquerque preparing for the Badgers NCAA Tournament opener on Thursday vs. Montana.

Scott and his cohorts did their homework and asked some excellent probing questions in regards to the Hawks in advance of this weekend’s Final Four out in Salem, Virginia.

To listen to Wednesday morning’s Lucas and Lepay show interview with Pat Miller CLICK HERE

Warhawks look to make NCAA Division III championship history this weekend

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is certainly no stranger to winning national championships.

The men’s basketball team will be in search of the third NCAA Division III national title this weekend out in Salem, Virginia.

The UW-Whitewater football team is just three months removed from capturing a third consecutive national title and fourth in the past five seasons.

Whitewater is in line to make Division III history this weekend.

If Pat Miller’s team captures the 2012 men’s basketball title the school would become the first to win both a men’s basketball and football national championship in the same academic year.

It hasn’t been just football and men’s basketball that has flourished in the national spotlight in recent years.

The 2005 UW-Whitewater baseball team brought home the Division III national title. Women’s volleyball has been among the national elite on an annual basis. The volleyball team captured national titles in 2002 and 2005.

“When I arrived in Whitewater as the new UW-Whitewater athletic director in 2004 I had a vision,” Paul Plinske indicated on last Saturday’s KOOL 106.5 postgame show. “I wanted to ‘raise the bar’ and have our teams strive to get to the national championship. The results have been truly amazing.”

“Pat Miller and his basketball program have worked tremendously hard year after year and came up just short in its playoff runs. I’m just so excited that men’s basketball will have its opportunity to play for a national title this weekend.”

Confident MIT to take on Warhawks Friday night in Salem

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, commonly known as MIT has long been known as one of the top academic universities in the nation.

This weekend MIT will show “D III nation” that the Engineer’s men’s basketball team is pretty darn good too.

MIT enters the weekend riding a 13-game win streak. The Engineers are 29-1 overall and haven’t lost since an 80-68 setback to WPI on Jan. 21.

MIT defeated Franklin & Marshall College 69-54 last Saturday to advance the NCAA Division III Final Four for the first time in the 112-year history of the program.
MIT takes on UW-Whitewater Friday night in Final Four action at 7 p.m. (Central Time) at the Salem Civic Center.

According to veteran UW-Whitewater head coach Pat Miller, the Engineers are a well-coached “very dangerous” team that will face the Warhawks on Friday evening in Division III semifinal action out in Salem, Virginia.

The Engineers (29-1) used great defense and timely shooting to down the host Diplomats and move on the national semifinals, which will be held in Salem, Va. next weekend.

Junior Mitchell Kates (Colts Neck, N.J.) continued his outstanding NCAA tournament run, scoring 21 points to go along with eight assists, three rebounds and three steals. Senior Jamie Karraker (Morgantown, W.Va.) had 17 points on five-of-10 shooting from deep and added six caroms. Senior Noel Hollingsworth (Salt Lake City, Utah) added 14 points and a team-high nine boards.

Kates, Hollingsworth, and Will Tashman were named to this year's NEWMAC All-Conference 1st Team. This is the first time in NEWMAC history that three players of the same school earned All-Conference 1st Team honors.

Head Coach Larry Anderson was awarded Coach of the Year once again, his third honor in seven years.

For more in-depth analysis of the MIT men’s basketball team check out a D3hoops.com feature on the Engineers.

To access the D3hoops.com story on MIT CLICK HERE

Poll Question: Who is your favorite Warhawk men's basketball player?

It is time to get interactive on Voice’s Warhawks Road to the Final Four Blog.

Poll Question No. 1: Who has been your favorite Hawk player this season?

The poll is located on the upper right side of the blog.

Cast you vote now and GO WARHAWKS!!

Leipold: Proud of the men's basketball team and tells them to bring home a national championship

Photo courtesy of Josh Smith/Daily Jefferson County Union

UW-Whitewater and the city of Salem, Virginia have developed quite a relationship over the past several years. The Warhawk football team has made the trek to Salem each of the past seven seasons to play Mount Union in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl national championship game.

After coming up on the short end in 2005 and 2006 Whitewater has captured the national title in four of the past five years.

The UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team will have the opportunity to capture its own national championship this weekend. It will be the first time in 23 years that the Hawks have advanced to the Final Four.

Men’s head coach Pat Miller invited UWW football coach Lance Leipold to address his team prior to the postseason.

“I told them to take time to enjoy the tournament run,” Leipold indicated. “This is a special time – a time they will definitely remember later in life.”

The Warhawk football success at the national level has cast a shadow over many of the other UW-Whitewater athletic programs. Leipold was quick to defuse the competition aspect between sports.

“We don’t play against anyone in our own athletic department we play against our opponents during the season and the postseason,” Leipold told the team. “You aren’t competing against any other sport on campus or any of the teams from the past.”

The Warhawk football team quickly learned in its annual trip to the Stagg Bowl that it must be viewed as a “business trip” because there was still work to be done in order to bring a national championship trophy back to campus.

“You definitely want your team to enjoy the weekend in the national spotlight but the reason you are there to try to finish off the season with a championship,” Leipold indicated. “No matter how this weekend turns out it will be the final weekend together as a basketball team. Take time to enjoy the experience but never lose sight of the ultimate goal.

The Warhawks (27-4) will take on the once-beaten Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in national semifinal action on Friday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. (Central time). The first semifinal game Friday evening will pit Cabrini (30-1) against Illinois Wesleyan (23-7) at 5 p.m. (Central time).

Warhawk fans not making the trip out to Salem will be able to listen to the Warhawks on the radio. Gary Douglas will have the call on your radio home for Warhawk basketball – KOOL 106.5

UWW Wheelchair basketball teams win national championships

Photo courtesy of UW-Whitewater

While the UW-Whitewater men’s basketball will battle for a national championship this weekend out in Salem, Virginia both the UW-Whitewater men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams won national titles this past weekend down Champaign, Illinois.

The women's team (17-3), coached by Dan Price, defeated the University of Alabama 63-34. The victory was especially sweet because the team's three regular season losses were against Alabama.

The men's team (21-5), coached by Jeremy Lade, defeated the University of Illinois 101-60.

It was the second straight national title for the perennial powerhouse, and the tenth overall.

To read more on the 2012 national champion wheelchair basketball teams CLICK HERE

D3hoops.com All-West Region squad released Monday

The 11th annual D3hoops.com All-Region teams are in, based on a record 683 nominations. They serve as a starting point for selection of our All-American teams.

Congratulations to Chris Davis who was named as the West Region Player of the Year.

Congraulations also to veteran Warhawk men's basketball coach Pat Miller who has been named the West Region Coach of the Year.

To link to the entire All-West Region team CLICK HERE

Salem, Viriginia a great place to visit in December or March

UW-Whitewater sports fans are very familiar with the road map that takes them to Salem, Virginia located in the south-central part of the Commonwealth.

Thousands of Warhawk football fans have made the 13+ hour trek in each of the past seven years.

The Whitewater foofball team has won three consecutive NCAA Division III Championships and four over the past five years.

This weekend the UWW men's basketball team will have the opportunity of bring home its own nationa championship by winning two games at the Salem Civic Center this weekend.

Pat Miller's team will take on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - commonly known as M.I.T. in Friday evening's D III semifinal game (7 p.m. CT Tipoff). The winner of the UWW-MIT game will advance to play the winner of Friday night's other semifinal - Cabrini vs. Illinois Wesleyan - in Saturday evening's National Title game.

For those of you making the trek to this weekend's Final Four make sure you check out downtown Roanoke - a very tourist friendly area with plenty of supurb restaurants and "establishments."

the Roanoke/Salem area is looking forward to having the Hawks again part of a national championship weekend.

Drive carefully on the way out and I look forward to seeing you out there!

GO WARHAWKS

MIT making first ever appearance at the D III Final Four

MIT will bring the best season record into this weekend's Final Four out in Salem. The MIT men's basketball team achieved a new level of program success on Saturday night, defeating Franklin & Marshall College, 69-54, to advance the NCAA Division III Final Four for the first time in the 112-year history of the program.

The Engineers (29-1) used great defense and timely shooting to down the host Diplomats. The Cardinal and Gray made nine-of-16 shots from deep as a team while shooting 46.9% from the field. The Engineers also limited the ninth-ranked Diplomats to their lowest output of the season, as Franklin & Marshall made just 18 of its 47 attempts from the floor.

Despite leading by as many as 15 in the second half, Tech needed to withstand a furious rally by the Diplomats down the stretch.

MIT is led by center Juniors Noel Hollingsworth, Will Tashman, and Mitchell Kates have all been named to this year's NEWMAC All-Conference 1st Team. This is the first time in NEWMAC history that three players of the same school earned All-Conference 1st Team honors.

6'9" Noel Hollingsworth was a Preseason All-American selection this year, and will enroll in graduate school at MIT next year to use his remaining year of eligibility.

Junior Mitchell Kates earns his third straight All-Conference award after leading MIT to its best season ever

6'8" Will Tashman, the league leader in rebounds, earns his second straight 1st Team All-Conference honor

Coming up on Tuesday here on the Warhawks Road to the Final Four Blog UWW head coach Pat Miller will give us an early week scouting report on Whitewater's semifinal round.

To view the blog CLICK HERE

No Dispute: Chris Davis is "the man" for this year's Warhawks

Adjacent photo courtesy of UW-Whitewater Athletics

There is no dispute, Chris Davis is “the man” for Pat Miller’s UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team. Perhaps that’s why the team selected Davis for being the final person up on the ladder to finish the ceremonial cutting down the nets following the Warhawks 76-62 national quarterfinal victory over Virginia Wesleyan Saturday night at raucous Kachel Gymnasium.

Davis was a monster against VWU finishing with 33 points and 11 rebounds.

The Marlins were one of the few teams that chose not to double-team the WIAC's Player of the Year.

"They (Virginia Wesleyan) elected to play me one on one," Davis indicated in the postgame press conference. "I missed several 'bunnies' in the first half and became a bit frustrated. My coaches and teammates kept telling me to keep my head up."

After scoring 10 points in the first half on Saturday, Davis exploded for 23 in the after intermission.

"Cody (Odegard) hit some big threes that opened it up,” said Davis, wearing a net proudly around his neck after the game. “Then they definitely were playing one-on-one. I haven’t seen that all year long, so it was definitely time to take over.”

Odegard torched the Virginia Wesleyan defense early on in the game. The howitzer shooting forward drained five three-pointers in just over 10 minutes to open the game, scoring all 17 of his points in the first half.

The Warhawks will depart for Salem Wednesday afternoon. They will face the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – commonly known as MIT – Friday evening at 7 p.m. (central time) in Division III semifinal action.

You’ll be able to listen to the game on your longtime voice of Warhawk basketball – KOOL 106.5 Once again that’s WIAC Player of the Year Chris Davis. The Hawks will face once-beaten MIT in semifinal action out in Salem Virginia on Friday night. You’ll be able to listen to the game on your longtime voice of Warhawk basketball – KOOL 106.5

UW-Whitewater Fan Bus Information for Division III Men’s Basketball Championship

Be part of the Warhawk Basketball Team history as they battle in their fourth appearance of the NCAA Division III National Championship. You can travel to the game via a Fan Bus!

Coach USA charter bus leaves 10:00 PM Thursday, March 15, 2012 and gets you to Salem, VA at 2:00 PM. You will be able to join up with fellow Warhawks at the pre-game celebration in the Salem Convention Center (room TBD) starting at 6:00 pm. This bus will not leave Salem, VA until Saturday. If we win Saturday, the bus will depart one hour after the championship game. If we lose Friday, the bus will depart the hotel at 9:00 am Saturday morning.

The bus will depart from Lot 1 (Center of the Arts) on Thursday at 10:00 PM sharp. Fans can begin loading at 9:30 PM.

COST OF TRIP - $75.00 for UW-W Students, $100.00 for Non-UW-W Students. Deadline is 4:00 PM this Thursday unless seats are sold out. Limited seats are available. Your tickets for both Warhawk games are included in this price.

UW-Whitewater is not responsible if there are weather-related concerns that cancel this trip.

This trip does NOT include room accommodations:

UW-W has reserved a block of rooms at the Quality Inn, Salem, VA under Warhawk Fan Bus. They are discounted to $49 per room for any of the options below.

The following are available:
10 Regular Double Beds (max of 4 per room, non-smoking) 4 King Double Beds (max of 4 per room, non-smoking) 5 King (one bed – max 2 per room, non-smoking) 2 Regular Double Beds (max of 4 per room, smoking)

Please call Leslie at 540-562-1912 to make your reservations. It will be your responsibility to book your room. If you choose to go to a different hotel, our UW-W Fan Bus will ONLY be dropping off/picking up from the Quality Inn, Salem, VA. The bus will ONLY be used for transportation to/from the NCAA UW-W games.

Contact the UW-Whitewater Ticket Center at 262-472-2222 to purchase your trip!

If you have specific Fan Bus questions, call Leah Thyne at 262-472-1655 or Amy Edmonds at 262-472-5646.

Hawks to face MIT in Friday night's D III semifnal

The UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team will face M.I.T. of Cambridge, Massachusetts in NCAA Division III semifinal action Friday night at the Salem Civic Center.
MIT defeated Franklin and Marshall 69-54 Saturday night in sectional final action. MIT shot 56 percent from three (9-for-16) and outrebounded Franklin and Marshall by 12.
The Engineers will bring an impressive 29 & 1 record into Saturday night’s game vs. the Warhawks. It will be the school’s first-ever berth in Final Four action.
Tipoff Friday night at the Salem Civic Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. (Central Time). The game will be broadcast live on KOOL 106.5 with Gary Douglas on the call. Links to the broadcast will be posted later in the week.

MIT is just the second team currently in the NEWMAC to reach the national semifinals and the first in 25 years. Clark finished as the national runner-up in 1984 and 1987.

NCAA DIII Championship Fan Information

The Warhawk men's basketball team is headed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Final Four in Salem, Virginia. Any additional information pertinent to travel plans and tickets will be posted on this website when it becomes available.

Tickets:
All-session ticket packages are available only prior to Friday, March 18 and are priced at $25 per package for adults and $12.50 per package for youth ages 2-college student and senior citizens.

Tickets will also be sold on campus beginning Monday, March 12 until Wednesday, March 14 at 12:00 pm. The ticket office telephone number is 262-472-2222 or call Salem Convention Center 540-375-3004. Tickets can be picked up or sent to Salem will call.

Fan Bus:
Information for a fan bus is yet to be determined. Information will be posted when available or you can contact Leah Thyne. Estimated departure would be Thursday evening for the Friday game.

Championship Banquet:
The championship team banquet, for fans and participants, will be held Thursday, March 15 from 7:30-9:30 pm at the Salem Civic Center. Tickets are $25. To purchase tickets for this event please contact Hank Luton at 540-375-3004 before Wednesday, March 14 at 5:00 pm.

Semifinal Games; Friday, March 16:
Cabrini College will take on Illinois Wesleyan University in the first semifinal match-up at 6:00 pm. The Warhawks will follow at 8:00 pm against MIT.

Championship Game; Saturday, March 17:
The winners of the two semifinal games from Friday, March 16 will meet up for the NCAA title game at 7:00 pm.

Whitewater fans can check the Doubletree Hotel Roanoke for possible accommodations first by calling 540-853-8257.

All times are Eastern time.

Voice debuts Warhawks Road to the Final Four Blog

Hi, I'm Tom Pattison and invite you to join me on the UW-Whitewater men's basketball team's Road to the Final Four coming up this coming weekend out in Salem, Virginia.

Over the next few days I will be blogging the latest on UW-Whitewater's bid for a third national title in school history.

For the first time in 23 years the UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team is heading back to the NCAA Division III Final Four.

The Warhawks advanced Saturday evening with a 76-62 “Elite 8” victory over Virginia Wesleyan at a raucous Kachel Gym.

UW-Whitewater (27-4) advances to play Massachusetts Institute of Technology (29-1) next Saturday in Salem, Va., its first Final Four appearance since current head coach Pat Miller led the 1989 Warhawks to their second national title as a player.

Along with Daily Jefferson County Union sports editor Jeff Seisser and the "radio voice of the Warhawks, Gary Douglas, I'll be leaving for Salem on Thursday morning.

I'll be blogging stories, posting photos and video, and offering my thoughts on the Warhawks as they push for a national championship.

The Warhawks will will face MIT, 29-1, at 7:00 (Central) Friday, and Cabrini College, 30-1, will play Illinois Wesleyan, 23-7, at 6:00 Friday. The winners will play at 6:00 (Central) Saturday for the 2012 Division III title.

Bookmark this blog and check it frequently over the next several days as I chronicle the Hawks Road to the Final Four