REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands men's basketball team earned the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (SCIAC) automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after defeating Chapman University in the SCIAC Tournament Title game yesterday, and today the NCAA announced the pairing for the tournament with the Bulldogs heading to Maryland to face Susquehanna University at host Hood College in the first round on Friday, March 6.

This is the program's fifth NCAA appearance and the second consecutive after making it to the fourth round (Elite 8) last season. The back-to-back appearances is the first for the program as head coach Eric Bridgeland has led the Bulldogs to their first back-to-back 20-win season since 1959-61.

Along with their opponent and host Hood, the fourth team in the pod is Vassar College. The winners of the first round meet in the second round on Saturday, Mar. 7.