The good news for William Jewell’s men’s basketball team is that despite finishing third in the league, the Cardinals still are in contention for the national tournament.

Jewell would earn an automatic berth if the team wins the Heart of America Athletic Conference postseason tournament or if Central Methodist or Evangel wins the tournament instead.

“Our league gets three automatic berths,” Cardinals coach Larry Holley said. “First place in the regular season gets a bid, and that is Central Methodist. They are already in. Second place in the regular season gets a bid; that’s Evangel. They are already in, and which ever team wins the postseason tournament gets the third spot.

“If Central Methodist or Evangel wins the tournament, then the third place team in the league gets in.”

So those are the scenarios for the Cardinals to once again play at Municipal Auditorium in the NAIA Division I National Men’s Basketball

Tournament.

To do that, though, the Cardinals must win three games in the HAAC tournament, which started with a home contest against main rival MidAmerica Nazarene on Wednesday, March 3.

Jewell split two games with MidAmerica this season — each home team came out ahead.

“We won by four here, and they won by two over there,” Holley said. “It is two evenly matched teams. It will be tough. They will bring a great crowd, and I know they will be ready to play.

“They are in a situation that for them to go to the national tournament, they have to win the postseason tournament. If we beat them their season is over.”

However, Holley said MidAmerica is one of the teams which has had a lot of success at the Mabee Center.

“I would have to go back and look at the records, but I think they have dominated the wins and losses over the past several years,” Holley said. “They have come in here and won several in a row until this year. They aren’t going to be intimidated by the Mabee Center.”

Last year, MidAmerica did the Cardinals a favor by winning the postseason tournament after winning the league. That left Jewell, which finished third in the league again, a spot open in the tournament, where the Cardinals upset No. 1-seeded Rogers State (Okla.) 76-73 in the first round.

Holley is not focusing on that, though. He said he is worried about the HAAC Tournament and making sure his team does not leave anything to chance.

If Jewell gets by the Pioneers, the team would play the winner of No. 2-seeded Evangel and No. 7-seeded Benedictine. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, March 5, at the home of the higher-seeded team.

Sports writer Bill Knust can be reached at 389-6605 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .