BEHREND DRAWS HAMILTON COLLEGE IN NCAA TOURNAMENT; MEDAILLE & FRANCISCAN EARN ECAC BIDS
The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team will travel to Clinton, NY to take on Hamilton College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament hosted by the Continentals at the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House on Friday. Time is yet to be determined.
The Behrend Lions won their conference-leading sixth AMCC title and first since 2013-14 by defeating La Roche College 67-65 in the AMCC Championship game. They will be making their eighth trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Lions erased a four-point deficit with a minute left to claim the crown on Sunday evening.
Seniors Mike Fischer and Dan Wanker were named to the AMCC All-Tournament Team. Justin Gorny scored the Lions final six points of the game, finishing with a team-best 14 points. Behrend will rely on the defense that ranks third in Division III in scoring defense (60.9).
Hamilton is an at-large bid after falling to No. 13 Amherst in the NESCAC Championship, 62-56. The Continentals are one of 16 early-rounds hosts in a field of 64 teams. The Continentals are 23-4 overall this season and are hosting the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. Two of Hamilton's losses are to teams that are in the NCAA Tournament (Middlebury, Amherst). The Continentals are averaging 86.9 points per game .
Hamilton is ranked 16th in the nation in scoring margin (15.4), while Behrend is 17th (15.3). Keene State and Moravian will play in the other first round game hosted by Hamilton. The two first-round winners will face each other at the Scott Field House. Time and date are to be announced.
Behrend isn't the only AMCC team extending its season beyond the AMCC tournament. The Medaille College and Franciscan University men's basketball seasons also continue as the Mavericks and Barons have been selected to the 2019 ECAC Tournament.
Medaille has been selected to the ECAC tournament for the second consecutive season. After going 14-13 overall, 11-7 in AMCC play and advancing to the AMCC Semifinals against eventual AMCC Champion Penn State Behrend, the Mavericks will get another crack at the ECAC Tournament starting on Wednesday when they travel to Marywood University to take on the Pacers at 7:00 pm.
Marywood went 16-10 this season, with an 8-4 record in the Atlantic East Conference where they also advanced to the Conference Semifinal before bowing out to Marymount University 71-64.
Medaille is the number three seed in Pod 2, with the victor advancing to face the winner of the Neumann University versus Drew University matchup. The Mavericks faced off against Knights last season in the ECAC Semifinals, falling in an 89-85 thriller.
Franciscan will square off against Grove City College in the first-round game on Wednesday. The Barons ended the regular season 13-12, setting the program's win mark for the DIII era of basketball and earned a trip to the AMCC tournament for the first time in program history. After bowing out of the tournament with a loss to Medaille, the Barons' season was extended with the invitation to the ECAC Tournament.
Franciscan enters the tournament with a 13-13 overall record, while Grove City holds a 16-11 overall record after falling in the Presidents' Athletic semifinal game to Westminster, 59-48. The two teams have met once this year already with Grove City defeating the Barons 64-42 on November 20.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm at Grove City College Arena on Wednesday, February 27.