Tag Archives: winter sports

Women’s Basketball | NCAA Tournament Preview (NESCAC style)

Amherst

Pod: vs. St. Joseph’s, Babson vs. Bridgewater State

Prognosis: The undefeated and defending national champion Lord Jeffs enter the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year as the favorites. Their path will likely be one of the easiest of any top seed, as they probably will not have to leave Amherst for the first four rounds of play, and the other high seeds in their region of the bracket are a group with gaudy records but lean resumes. Their potential second-round opponent, No. 13 Babson, is 25-2, but outside of an early season win against a Tufts side still getting its feet on the ground, they have looked poor against top teams, including a 61-39 drubbing at the hands of Williams. No. 15 Juniata similarly played a weak schedule, and is reeling after losing their conference championship game to Catholic, while No. 8 William Patterson could only split a season series with Kean, a team the Lord Jeffs dispatched by 23. Continue reading

Linking Around the NESCAC | February 28

Happy Leap Year. Here’s a batch of links, including the all-NESCAC basketball teams after the jump:

Women’s Basketball | Amherst has sights set on repeat title (via Tufts Daily)

The Amherst women’s basketball team is in the midst of a remarkable run on par with some of the best ever seen in Div. III sports. In the past few years, the Lord Jeffs have not only established themselves as the perennial team to beat in the NESCAC but have also become the top Div. III team in the nation. In defeating Tufts on Sunday, defending national champion Amherst extended its winning streak to 46 games overall and 63 straight at home while clinching their third straight NESCAC championship and further cementing their position as the class of the conference.

Despite the team’s dominance in recent years, the man behind the magic remains hungry as ever. Coach G.P. Gromacki, currently in his fifth season at the helm of the Amherst women’s basketball program, wants to avoid feeling content. Instead, he chooses to focus on building from each victory, treating each game as a steppingstone towards — as he puts it — “something bigger.” Continue reading

Linking Around the NESCAC | February 28

Another day, another batch of links. Let’s go:

Women’s Basketball | Mules snubbed from NCAA Tournament (via Morning Sentinel)

WATERVILLE — Most of the Colby women’s basketball team was gathered in the trophy room, just a short walk from the court at Wadsworth Gymnasium.

But what happens when you’re waiting to find out where to go, and it turns out to be nowhere?

That’s what the Mules faced Monday afternoon as they watched the NCAA Division III selection show. The teams were revealed in groups of eight and, when all 64 teams had been listed, Colby — despite a 19-7 overall record and the sixth-toughest schedule in the country — was not one of them.

Colby senior Jil Vaughan nervously buried her head in her hands before the final eight teams were shown, but when it became obvious Colby’s season was over, everyone in the room was speechless.

“They were in shock,” Colby coach Julie Veilleux said a few hours later. “They might still be in shock right now, to be honest. I know they’re hurting inside. I know they’re upset.” Continue reading

Women’s Basketball | Amherst, Tufts, Bowdoin to NCAA Tourney

(via NESCAC.com)

HADLEY, Mass. – Defending national champion Amherst College will have the opportunity to defend its title when the Lord Jeffs open play in the 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on Friday evening at home.

The Lord Jeffs (27-0), who won their third NESCAC title this past weekend, were announced as one of the 64 participating teams in this year’s tournament on Monday afternoon. Also joining Amherst from the conference are Tufts (21-6) and Bowdoin (19-7). The Jumbos will host a first and second round set for the first time ever at Cousens Gymnasium this weekend, while the Polar Bears will travel to Ithaca, N.Y.

All first round games are Friday with second round contests taking place on Saturday. Continue reading

Linking Around the NESCAC | February 27

The champions have been crowned and NCAA bids are on the horizon. Check back later today once the basketball fields have been announced for full NESCAC analysis, but let’s get to the links ASAP:

NESCAC Sports | A weekend four-bagger for Amherst (via MassLive.com)

Ice Hockey | ECAC East/NESCAC wrap: Feb. 27 (via USCHO.com)

Women’s Basketball | Lord forbid: Amherst cracks down in second half to earn title (via Tufts Daily)

An upset appeared on the horizon at halftime. Minutes later, the opportunity vanished.

Coming off back-to-back dominant efforts in its first two playoff games, the women’s basketball team lost to No. 1 Amherst in the finals of the NESCAC tournament yesterday afternoon. Despite a great first-half performance, in which the Jumbos kept pace with the undefeated Lord Jeffs, the visitors collapsed in the second period, ultimately losing 65-39. The Jumbos had not allowed that many points since their second game of the season on Nov. 20. Continue reading