Courtesy Photo The 2023-24 Alpena Community College men’s basketball team poses for a team portrait in this undated photo provided by the college.

ALPENA — The Alpena Community College men’s basketball team has clinched a spot in the postseason and will host the first round of the NJCAA Division II Great Lakes District B Men’s Basketball Championship starting Tuesday.

The Lumberjacks finished the regular season with a record of 9-15 and a Michigan Community College Athletic Association Northern Conference Record of 7-7.

The Lumberjacks last advanced to the postseason during the 2021-22 season, when they lost to the Henry Ford Community College Hawks.

The last time the Lumberjacks hosted a postseason game was the 1998-99 season that ended in heartbreak when they fell to Kalamazoo Valley Community College 71-73 on a missed three-pointer at the buzzer.

While the majority of the tournament will take place at Mott Community College in Flint, the first round of tournament play will be hosted at the home court of the higher-seed.

ACC is the higher seed in its first-round match-up and will host the game in Alpena.

“This is a special night for the team and for ACC Athletics,” said ACC Athletic Director Allen Telgenhof. “A loud, engaged crowd can really pick up a team’s adrenaline, and I’m confident that our fans and our student section will get it going.”

ACC will take on the Muskegon Jayhawks, a fellow Northern Conference member.

The two teams have met up twice this season, with the Lumberjacks taking the win in both matchups, 70-62 and 73-69.

This year’s Lumberjacks have been one of the most competitive teams in recent history, with a conference record of .500, four of their losses being by five points or less, and an additional five games being decided by 10 points or less.

Standouts for the team include freshman Eli Hennings, who was named Northern Conference Player of the Week twice during the season by the MCCAA, as well as freshman Trevon Johnson and sophomores Daddy Hill, Davarion Mitchell, and Ianson Simpson.

“The teams battle all season long to have an opportunity to make the tournament and host a playoff game,” said head coach Bobby Allen. “As a coach, I’m looking for my players to play team ball and give it all they have.”

ACC will host the first round of the tournament at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Park Arena. The first 100 fans in attendance will be given pom poms, and fans are encouraged to wear their Jack Pack T-shirts, other ACC shirts, or burgundy shirts to show their school spirit.

Other participants in the tournament are Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Macomb Community College, Muskegon Community College, and the No. 3 seed for the Ohio Community College Athletic Southern Conference (yet to be determined).

If the Lumberjacks win, they will go on to face Macomb Community College on Friday at Mott Community College. The remainder of the tournament will take place at Mott Community College, with the championship game taking place at 4 p.m. March 10.

The Great Lakes District B Champion will advance to the NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship held March 18 to 23 at Mary Miller Gymnasium on the campus of Danville Area Community College in Danville, Illinois.

Fans can follow along on the tournament website at njcaaregion12.org/tournaments/mbkb2B/2023- 24/index.