DANBURY, Conn. – The Penn State Altoona men's basketball team's record-setting season has been extended for at least one more game.

The Lions learned on Monday afternoon that they were one of 10 teams to earn a berth to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference's Division III Championship, which tips off later this week.

Penn State Altoona received the fourth seed in the 10-team bracket and gets a first-round bye. The Lions will enter the tournament in the quarterfinal round on Friday, March 4, facing the United States Merchant Marine Academy at 2:30 p.m. in Newark, N.J.

After the first round of games on Wednesday, March 2, the quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship rounds will all be hosted at Rutgers-Newark from Friday, March 4 through Sunday, March 6.

Penn State Altoona men's basketball has had its best season in program history during 2021-22, setting new team records for the most overall wins (18), most Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference wins in a season (13), best regular season finish in the AMCC standings (earned second seed in the conference tournament), and first AMCC co-regular season champion title. After gaining the second seed in the AMCC Tournament, the Lions suffered a loss to third seed La Roche University in the semifinal round.

This is Penn State Altoona's fifth ECAC postseason tournament berth in program history.

Merchant Marine received the fifth seed in the ECAC tournament and, like Penn State Altoona, gets a first-round bye. The Mariners went 15-9 overall this season, including a 13-3 mark in the Skyline Conference that gave them the second seed in the conference tournament. Merchant Marine fell in overtime to seventh seed Mount Saint Vincent University in the Mariners' first game of the conference tournament.

View the complete ECAC Division III Men's Basketball Championship release

*Please note Rutgers-Newark's COVID-19 policy for all fans.

First Round - Wednesday, March 2 
Game #1: No. 8 Gwynedd Mercy University* vs. No. 9 William Paterson University - 7:00 p.m.
Game #2: No. 7 Juniata College* vs. No. 10 Waynesburg University – 7:00 p.m.

*denotes host

Quarterfinals - Friday, March 4 at Rutgers-Newark
Game #3: Alvernia vs. Winner of Game #1 - 12:00 p.m.
Game #4: PSU Altoona vs. USMMA - 2:30 p.m. 
Game #5: PSU Behrend vs. Manhattanville - 5:00 p.m.
Game #6: Rutgers Newark vs Winner of Game #2 - 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, March 5 at Rutgers-Newark
Game #7: Game #3 Winner vs. Game #4 Winner - 3:00 p.m.
Game #8: Game #5 Winner vs Game #6 Winner - 5:30 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, March 6 at Rutgers Newark
Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #8 - 1:00 p.m.