Double delight for W&J basketball
It will be a historic Friday night for the basketball teams at Washington & Jefferson College as the both the Presidents’ men and women will be playing in the opening round of the NCAA Division III tournaments.
The W&J men (24-4) travel to Elmhurst (Ill.) to play in a pod that includes four teams from far-flung destinations. Elmhurst (22-6), W&J’s opponent in the opening round, earned its spot in the national tournament with an 82-65 win over North Central in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin tournament championship game.
The W&J-Elmhurst game, which tips at 6:40 p.m., is the second game of a doubleheader. The opening game matches Pomona-Pitzer (21-4) against Northwestern-St. Paul (21-6). Pomona-Pitzer won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and Northwestern-St. Paul is the Upper Midwest Conference tournament champion.
W&J brings a 12-game winning streak into its first NCAA tournament since reaching the Elite Eight in the 1993-94 season. The fast-paced Presidents average 87.2 points per game and their pressing defense forces and average of 21 turnovers by their opponents.
Sophomore guard Nick Gearhart is W&J’s leading scorer at 16.9 points per game and junior guard Kyran Mitchell is right behind at 16.8. Gearhart and Mitchell both were named first team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference on Wednesday.
Long-range shooter J.R. Mazza averages 15 points per game and point guard Michael Bigley is at 10.2.
Elmhurst has won 10 of its last 11 games. Senior guard Jake Rhode (17.7 ppg) was the only Blue Jays player to make first team all-conference.
Elmhurst is 12-1 this season on its home court.
W&J women face unbeaten foe: The W&J women are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2009-10 season and will play at undefeated and highly ranked Transylvania in Lexington, Ky. Tipoff is 6:30 p.m.
The Presidents will take a 23-4 record and 11-game winning streak into the contest. Transylvania (24-0) won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship game against Anderson, 81-51. Transylvania, which is ranked No. 2 by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and No. 3 by d3hoops.com, has won 20 consecutive games on its home court.
W&J allows only 52 points per game while Transylvania scores at a clip of 76 per contest. The Pioneers have attempted 694 three-point shots, an average of 29 per game. Juniors guard Madison Kellione (17.5 ppg) and Kennedi Stacy (13.6 ppg) are both first team all-conference players.
The other game at Transylvania matches Southern Virginia (24-4) against Shenandoah (22-5).
PSAC semifinals: The California women are on quite a roll. The Vulcans roll into the PSAC tournament semifinals Saturday at Kutztown with a 23-4 record and nine-game winning streak.
The last team to beat the Vulcans was Shepherd (24-6). The Rams won 76-66 on their home court Feb. 7.
Cal plays Shepherd in the conference tournament semifinals at 1 p.m. The other semifinal matches Kutztown against Gannon.
The championship game is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. The tournament champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II tournament. Pairings will be announced Sunday night.
Abby Beeman and Marley McLaughlin combined for 49 points for Shepherd against Cal and will be focal points for the Vulcans’ defense.
“They have three really good players,” Cal coach Jess Strom said Wednesday after the Vulcans’ 72-48 win over Edinboro in the quarterfinals. “Shepherd is a good team, a veteran team. Neutral court, we know them, they know us.
“Our defense has been pretty good lately and it is the PSAC tournament. We are going to come out with energy, they will come out with energy. I think it is going to be whoever wants it more.”
The game will match the PSAC West Player of the Year against her east Division counterpart. Cal’s Dejah Terrell was named the West Player of the year on Thursday. She averages 19.1 points per game and scored 30 in the first meeting with Shepherd. Beeman, who leads the conference in both points and assists, won the East’s top honor.
Cal moved up to the No. 2 spot in the Atlantic Regional rankings . Shepherd is fourth in the region.