ESPANOLA, New Mexico. - The Northern New Mexico College Men’s basketball team has finished third in their conference, earning them an automatic bid to the semi-finals of the AII Conference Championships. The (#3) Eagles will face (#2) Philander Smith College from Little Rock, Arkansas on Friday, February 25th in Denver. The tip off at Johnson and Wales University will be at 5:00 PM. The other semi-Final game will feature (#1) Johnson and Wales University hosting (#4) Central Baptist University at 7:00 PM.

The Eagles qualified through the Hunter Rating System. Much like the NCAA has a BCS selection system for football championships, the AII uses Hunter Ratings for the selection of teams in their league. Due to the travel distance between teams, it is not possible for all teams to play each other therefore there is a scoring system to evaluate the teams based on toughness of schedule, and their win-loss record.

The Eagles played the toughest schedule in the league, and did fairly well against most opponents, giving them a distinct advantage at the end of the season. The Eagles beat out 7 other teams for the 3rd place finish in their 10 team league. The Eagles record against NAII Div II teams this year was 2-3, of which 2 losses came to the conference leader, Johnson and Wales University.

The winner of the AII Tournament will earn an automatic bid to the 32 team NAIA Div II National Championship Tournament. The Eagles will need two wins to get the bid, and Coach Cordova is very optimistic about the tournament. “We have a 25% chance of getting to the National Tournament, and with a win on Friday that percentage increases to 50%. I consider that a pretty darn good chance. The kids know we can get there, and getting them to believe is half the battle”.

The Eagles are raising money to help with travel costs for the upcoming tournament. Some business leaders have already stepped up with donations to help get the team to Denver. The team would like to express a special thank you to Valley National Bank, El Paragua Restaurant and Presbyterian Heath Services for their generous donations.