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Monday, March 10, 2003 Page: 1B
WILKES-BARRE – King’s College on Sunday was selected to play host to an
NCAA Division III women’s basketball sectional tournament.
The college will have two Sweet 16 games on Friday, then a national
quarterfinal on Saturday. King’s (24-3) will play Eastern Connecticut State
University (25-4) on Friday and Bowdoin (25-2) will face Southern Maine
(26-3). Game times are expected to be announced today.
The sectional winner advances to the Final Four March 21-22 in Terre Haute,
Ind.
The Lady Monarchs, ranked seventh nationally in Division III, advanced
Saturday with an 82-67 victory against Pitt-Greensburg. ECSU, ranked 21st,
upset 13th-ranked DeSales 65-61 on Saturday to reach the Sweet 16.
Fifth-ranked Bowdoin defeated Emmanuel 73-50 and 12th-ranked Southern Maine
posted a 72-54 triumph over Salem State.
The announcement came as a pleasant surprise for King’s, the top-ranked
team in the Mid-Atlantic Region. With DeSales losing to Eastern Connecticut,
it seemed a long shot that the NCAA would send three New England teams to
Pennsylvania. Bowdoin, the top-ranked team in the Northeast Region and located
in Brunswick, Maine, appeared to be the favorite because of traveling
logistics.
“We are extremely excited and honored to have this opportunity and this is
really a dream come true,” said King’s coach Bryan Whitten. “I think it says
a lot about the strength of our region for the NCAA to send three New England
schools down here. Without having to travel that kind of distance and being
able to play on our home court, it is all we could ask for.”
When King’s reached the sectional finals in 2000, it traveled more than six
hours to St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. A year ago, the team
drove five-plus hours to Salisbury University in Maryland for the Sweet 16 and
Elite Eight rounds. If the sectional games had been played at Bowdoin, the
Lady Monarchs would have had a 440-mile drive.
“I am just so happy for our players, especially our seniors, who have
waited for this chance their entire careers,” Whitten said. “I am also glad
for our fans, family members, and the college community who will be able to
see us play here rather than on the road. We have some dedicated supporters,
but it would be hard for a lot of people to travel eight or nine hours to
Maine. We are thrilled with the news but have to get back to work. Eastern
Connecticut is an excellent team which just pulled off a big road win at
DeSales, so they are feeling real good about their chances right now.”
Whitten was hopeful King’s would be selected to host a regional because a
Mid-Atlantic team had not hosted a sectional championship since the University
of Scranton did in 1999. Since then, a Mid-Atlantic Regional team has reached
the Sweet 16 every year but none was selected to host. Whitten firmly believed
that the region, with four teams ranked nationally in the NCAA top 20,
deserved the opportunity.
“For us to have this experience and for our fans to be able to see us play
here is great,” said King’s senior captain Nikki Kingston. “We have great
fan support and with the comfort of playing in our own gym, it should make a
big difference. The seniors have worked hard for four years to get here and to
have this chance at home is really special.”
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Wilkes 7, Emory & Henry 6
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Melissa Babcock’s run-scoring single in the bottom of
the seventh inning lifted Wilkes University (2-1) past Emory & Henry on Sunday
at the Atlantic East softball challenge.
Babcock, a Tunkhannock Area High School graduate, had two singles, a double
and four RBI. Wyoming Valley West graduate Jan Nunemacher, who walked in the
seventh and scored the winning run, added two hits and two RBI. Carly
Streznetcky also had two hits for the Colonels.