Minneapolis, Minn. — The men's basketball team began NCCAA National Tournament play on Thursday evening, beating Manhattan Christian 71–64.

The teams traded buckets early, with six lead changes in the first half. Manhattan built a late cushion, taking an eight‑point lead into halftime. The Polars slowly fought back, keeping the game within reach early in the second half. They tied the game with 13:09 left behind two straight Anthony Knight layups. The Thunder responded with a 10–3 run to retake a multi‑possession lead. Again, the Polars chipped away, taking the next five minutes to grab the lead with four and a half minutes remaining on another Knight layup. Crown held the lead the rest of the way, eventually extending the margin to 10. A late Thunder three cut the score to the final of 71–64 as the Polars collected a seven‑point victory to advance in the tournament.

Knight finished with a game‑high 26 points, adding 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Parker Behne scored 19 points and also grabbed 7 rebounds. Tyler Smith posted 9 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Tristan Youngblood contributed 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 steals.

The Polars continue play on Friday, facing the winner of the game between Great Lakes Christian and Bob Jones, which tips at 8:00 p.m. Thursday night.