CLEVELAND, OH – No. 3 John Carroll and No. 4 Wittenberg claimed victories in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NCAC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Blue Streaks defeated No. 6 Oberlin 77-73, while the Tigers bested No. 5 Wabash 77-53.
 
John Carroll and Wittenberg will advance to the semifinal round on Friday, February 27, at Denison University. The Blue Streaks will take on No. 2 seeded DePauw at 5:00 p.m., while the Tigers will face top seeded Denison at 7:30 p.m. The gym will be cleared between the first and second game and separate tickets will be required for each semifinal game.
 
The semifinal winners will square off for the 2026 NCAC tournament title on Saturday, February 28, at 7:00 p.m. in Granville, Ohio. The game will be part of a doubleheader with the women, who will play before the men’s final at 3:00 p.m. The gym will be cleared in between those games and separate tickets will be required for both contests.

#3 JOHN CARROLL (20-6) 77, #6 OBERLIN (13-13) 73

• Oberlin grabbed an early edge before John Carroll answered behind graduate student guard Luke Chicone (Mentor, OH/Mentor), who scored 16 points in the opening half as the teams traded the lead through the beginning of the first period. The Blue Streaks then created separation late in the half, building an 11-point advantage and carrying a 41-32 lead into the break. Oberlin stayed within striking distance with six first-half three-pointers, led by senior guard Zach Smith (Chicago, IL/University of Chicago Laboratory Schools) with 11 points at intermission.
• The Yeomen made it a one-possession game down the stretch and briefly grabbed the lead, 68-67, with 5:04 remaining, but the Blue Streaks responded with timely stops and free throws to close out the win. Oberlin first-year guard Sam Kamenko (Jerusalem, Israel/Kiski Prep) cut it to a one-point game with 1:07 remaining, but a late three from JCU junior guard Aidan Fitzgerald (Kirtland, OH/Lake Catholic) pushed the margin back to four, and the Blue Streaks held on from there.
• Chicone finished with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-21 shooting to go with seven rebounds, two assists, and four steals. Junior guard/forward Brandon Rose (East Cleveland, OH/Gilmour Academy) provided a spark off the bench with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while junior forward Kyle Irwin (Mayfield Heights, OH/Mayfield) added 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including three triples.
• Oberlin was led by junior guard JJ Gray (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley), who posted 19 points and seven assists. Smith added 16 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore guard Rob Magner (Davidson, NC/Pine Lake Prep) chipped in 11 points.
• Making its NCAC Tournament debut, John Carroll won its first men’s basketball postseason game. With the victory, the Blue Streaks are one win away from reaching the tourney final in their first season in the league. 

#4 WITTENBERG (18-8) 77, #5 WABASH (15-11) 53

• Wabash scored first and briefly led 3-0, but Wittenberg quickly settled in and seized control with a 9-0 run to flip the game’s momentum. The Tigers maintained the edge the rest of the half behind efficient shooting and balanced scoring, building the lead to double figures before taking a 36-27 advantage into the break.
• Wittenberg kept its foot on the gas after halftime, extending the margin with a strong opening stretch and continuing to win in the paint as the lead grew to as many as 27 points in the final minutes. Wabash put together an eight-point run early in the final period, but the Tigers answered each push to secure the win.
• Three Wittenberg players shared the team lead with 13 points apiece: senior forward Eddie Brown (Lewis, Center, OH/Olentangy Orange) and first-year guards Jace Wardlow (Bowling Green, KY/Bowling Green) and Noah Frayer (Odenton, MD/SPIRE Academy). Sophomore forward Sam Miller (Ashville, OH/Teays Valley) added 12 points, while junior forward Tyler Galluch (Springfield, OH/Catholic Central) chipped in eight points to round out the Tigers’ balanced attack.
• Wabash was led by junior forward Nate Matelic (Indianapolis, IN/Speedway) with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 mark at the free-throw line. Senior post Gavin Schippert (Evansville, IN/Reitz) added 13 points and nine rebounds, and senior wing Rich Brooks (South Bend, IN/Mishawaka Marian) scored nine.
• Wittenberg heads into the semifinal round for the first time since 2024 and will look to advance into the tournament final for the 19th time in program history.