FDLTCC HOSTING AMERICAN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION CONSORTIUM NATIONAL BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is hosting the 32nd annual American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) National Basketball Championships on March 14-17, 2013. The national championship tournament features 19 men’s and women’s teams from 12 tribal colleges and universities located across the United States. This is the first time the AIHEC National Championship Basketball Tournament has been held at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and the first time in the state of Minnesota.

Pool play in both divisions begins on Thursday morning, March 14, and finishes on Friday, March 15. The teams will then be seeded into a play-off bracket to determine a national champion. Pool play games will be held at FDLTCC and at the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School. All play-off bracket games will be held at FDLTCC on Saturday and Sunday.

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will be represented in the tournament by the Thunder men’s and women’s teams.

In addition to the Thunder from FDLTCC, colleges in the Men’s Division include: Salish Kootenai College (Montana), Navajo Technical College (New Mexico), Turtle Mountain Community College (North Dakota), Northwest Indian College (Washington), Cankdeska Cikana Community College (North Dakota), Oglala Lakota College (South Dakota), Blackfeet Community College (Montana), Stone Child College (Montana), Leech Lake Tribal College (Minnesota), and Fort Berthold Community College (North Dakota).

Northwest Indian College of Washington is the defending Men’s Division champion, having beat Salish Kootenai College of Montana 99-83 in the 2012 championship game held in Rapid City.

The Thunder men play their first game in pool play at 11:40 a.m. on Thursday at FDLTCC against Navajo Technical College of New Mexico. The Thunder men will play a second game on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at FDLTCC against Stone Child College of Montana.

The Women’s Division includes the FDLTCC Thunder and Salish Kootenai College (Montana), Navajo Technical College (New Mexico), Turtle Mountain Community College (North Dakota), Oglala Lakota College (South Dakota), Stone Child College (Montana), Fort Berthold Community College (North Dakota) and Tohono O’odham Community College (Arizona).

Oglala Lakota College of North Dakota is the defending Women’s Division champion, having defeated Stone Child College of Montana 56-52 in the 2012 championship game.

The Thunder women play their first game in pool play at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday at the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School gym against Stone Child College. The Thunder women also play a second game on Thursday at 7:50 p.m. against Fort Berthold Community College of North Dakota.

The tournament is open to all spectators with tickets available at the door. Ticket prices are $3.00 per game or $15.00 for the entire tournament. Children under age 12 and elders are free.

FDLTCC Thunder Athletics coaches Damien Paulson and Laura Sylvester are serving as the tournament managers. For more information, contact Laura Sylvester at 218-879-0822 or lsylvester@fdltcc.edu.