NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Following its quarterfinal victory over Macalester College, the fifth-seeded St. Olaf College men's basketball team travels to second-seeded Saint John's University in the semifinals of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs on Friday night.

St. Olaf (15-11) edged Macalester by a 56-54 margin in St. Paul on Tuesday night to earn a date with Saint John's (16-9) in the semifinals for the third-straight edition of the MIAC Playoffs. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Sexton Arena in Collegeville on Friday, Feb. 24.

Per MIAC policy, admission will be charged for all postseason games. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $2 for students (children five and under are free). There is no senior discount and MIAC passes will be honored. No other passes are valid. Tickets may be purchased in advance on online or at the ticket booth at the entrance to Sexton Arena, which will open at 6 p.m. Live video and stats will both be available for those unable to attend the game in-person.

Friday night's other semifinal matchup pits sixth-seeded Hamline University against top-seeded Carleton College at 7 p.m. at West Gym in Northfield. Like the Oles, the Pipers picked up a road win on Tuesday evening, knocking off third-seeded Saint Mary's University, 90-84, in double overtime in Winona. The highest remaining seed following the semifinals will host the championship game on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.

St. Olaf advanced to the semifinals for the third-straight season – not counting 2021 when the tournament was not held – with a 56-54 victory at Macalester on Tuesday evening, surviving a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to earn a spot in the semifinals for the 11th time in program history. The Oles have appeared in the semifinals in seven of the last nine editions of the MIAC Playoffs. Tuesday night's win marked the third-straight season St. Olaf has won a road game as the lower seed in the quarterfinals and improved the Oles to 7-12 all-time in the tournament.

Saint John's earned the No. 2 seed and a bye into the semifinals after going 13-7 in conference play during the regular season. The Johnnies are in the postseason for the 29th time in program history – the 11th-straight season – and have won the tournament eight times, including doing so in each of the last three seasons. Saint John's has been a top-two seed in each of the last five seasons of the tournament.

St. Olaf and Saint John's have met four times previously in the MIAC Playoffs, with all four falling in the semifinals. The Johnnies have won three of the four encounters, including eliminating the Oles in each of the last two seasons, and the home team has won each of the four games. St. Olaf's lone win was a 91-80 victory at Skoglund Center on its way to the second of its two MIAC Playoffs titles in 2016.