BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England men's basketball team will play Farmingdale State College in the first round of the NCAA Division III National Championship Friday on the campus of Rhode Island College.  Game time is slated for 8:00 p.m.

The Nor'easters (24-4) earned their first-ever NCAA bid after defeating Colby-Sawyer College, 90-79, in Saturday's The Commonwealth Coast Conference final.  Farmingdale State of Farmingdale, N.Y. (24-3) is making its second consecutive appearance after receiving an at-large bid.  The Rams lost to St. Joseph's College of Patchogue (N.Y.) on a last-second free throw in the finals of the Skyline Conference.

Rhode Island College will be taking on MIT in the other first-round contest at RIC that day.  The Anchormen earned an at-large bid despite losing in the Little East Conference championship, while MIT punched its ticket by claiming the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference crown with a 76-50 victory over Springfield College.

The winner of the UNE/Farmingdale State will play the winner of RIC/MIT in a second-round game Saturday at Rhode Island College.

The Nor'easters' opening-round matchup with Farmingdale State will pit two teams with similarities, but also some stark contrasts.  Each team had long winning streaks during the season (19 UNE; 20 Farmingdale) and own high-scoring offenses (UNE 79.8 ppg; Farmingdale 85.7 ppg).  Conversely, the Nor'easters have zero players taller than six-foot-four, while the Rams boast a roster with five players six-foot-six or taller.

Click here for a complete bracket of the 2009 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Championship.