Northwestern clinches first NCAA tournament berth

The Northwestern Wildcats clinched their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history on Selection Sunday, securing a No. 8 seed in the West Region. 

The Wildcats will square off against 9th-seeded Vanderbilt (19-15, 10-8 SEC) in Salt Lake City on Thursday. If Northwestern advances, they would play the winner of the game between Gonzaga and South Dakota State.

The Wildcats posted a 23-11 record this season and logged quality wins over teams such as Dayton, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maryland. They snapped a 78-year streak without an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Fans, players and fellow students celebrated the announcement at a Welsh-Ryan Arena watch party. on Sunday.