Congratulations to the Babson women, this year's NEWMAC champions. Seeded 4th in the conference, Babson beat #1 Springfield yesterday 64 – 57 after being down by 13 in the 1st half.

In today's conference championship game they beat #2 Wheaton 77 – 51. Babson held the lead from the first basket until the last. Great effort, ladies. On to the NCAA's.

Congratulations to the Babson men, too. They beat Springfield 72 - 62 to claim the NEWMAC Men's Championship.

Tufts hosted St. Lawrence, New Paltz State and Babson for the first round last year. It was a little cramped but the fans get to see the game up close and personal.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same"
1. A French proverb making the observation that turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.

It goes back to the fourth grade. The more you complain, the more you get punished.

It's really sad, there was no justification for Babson going to Oneonta two years ago then to Amherst last year in an obvious snub. This year, ranked third in the region they go to Tufts, and USM hosts. Not only does USM have the refs in their pocket, now they have the NCAA, too? For all of their effort and success, the Babson women deserve more respect than they've been given, especially this year!

I'll second MVP's post. The game is over, the seedings were the seedings and in the end Amherst was the winner. A Babson -Amherst meeting in the Elite 8 would have been a great event but .....  Both teams are made up of some of the finest young women in Women's D3 basketball; last night they left it all on the court. They deserve our respect regardless of what school they play for or what conference they're in. They work hard to bring their best to their team after carrying a full class load semester after semester. The seniors will move on to new opportunities and adventures but they'll always have the friendships, memories and experience of playing for two of the best teams in D3 basketball along with the pride of knowing they did their best. They may have some regrets but their memories will focus on the good times and their collective efforts. I'll take the pride i have for my daughter's accomplishments over the last four years to my grave (hopefully not too soon) and I know i'm not alone.

With respect to the Amherst parents, I wasn't paying attention but I have great respect for them. They've always shown great respect to the Babson team; they're a class act. Negative comments or actions, if any, would likely have come from students who can be forgiven at their tender age. I expect that when they have kids of their own they'll show the same respect to opposing teams that the Amherst parents have shown Babson.

Quote from: Maine1 on February 27, 2012, 11:26:48 AM
I wouldn't get to involved in the projected brackets, the real ones can be entirely different.

One can only hope! I was looking forward to seeing you in Wellesley.

As I was writing my post NE HOOP GUY beat me to the punch. He's much more eloquent and factual but I'll add my two cents.


Maine1 - You were at the Colby - Babson game which gives you some cred yet you suggest that Tufts should be #2 rather than Babson. You must have been sitting behind me and to my left. Didn't Babson beat Tufts earlier in the season and Colby Tuesday night? I'll check the schedule. In fact, I'll go back two years ago to see how Colby did against Babson in the second round of the NCAA's.
No one wants to give Babson even a modicum of respect despite what they've accomplished in the past three years. Everyone seems to hold their nose at Babson's qualifying for the NCAA's (three years and counting) yet they've gotten closer to the dance than most other teams in the Northeast. Give these women the respect they deserve. They weren't one and done, they've done it three years in a row. We all have our loyalties but because Babson is in a conference that "sucks," which I take exception to and think is inappropriate, they keep getting it done.

In answer to amh63's request for opinions as to who should should be #2 instead of UNE, be carefui what you ask for. The answer is quite simple, BABSON. They didn't lose a game last week yet went from 3 to 9 with RIC and WILLIAMS losing games and only dropping two positions. I'll also add that amh63's soliloquy about MVP's posts on the NEWMAC blog are amusing. I'd venture to guess that MVP, like myself, is a Babson parent and should be allowed some leeway in their posts as opposed to a loyal fan of many years who has a different level of "skin" in the game. Be assured that Babson is a TEAM, not driven by the front court or any one player but by the coach and the women who make up and are a team. See you in Amherst.

Agreed, "any given night" but a fan has to be optimistic!

Actually, I was responding to 7express, a frequent and informative poster. I thought it would be obvious that I was responding to his post and that I was referring to the possibility of a fourth consecutive matchup of Amherst and Babson in post "conference" season play. Evidently not, but now you know. NESCAC teams' success outside their conference is a fact.

Au contraire, mon ami. There is always Babson.

Babson's record is "only 6 – 4 when playing on a NESCAC team floor." Agreed, but 3 of the 4 losses were against Amherst; in the first round in 2009, in the Elite 8 in 2010 and again in the Elite 8 with Amherst winning the championship game in 2011. Babson's win against Colby two years ago in double OT was one of the best games I've ever seen. Their win against Bowdoin last year in OT wasn't a snorer either.

Secondly, the Babson and Amherst teams have both EARNED their successes.  Why anyone would suggest that because of their past success they think they deserve a free pass to the Elite 8 is a mystery to me. Last year the knock on Babson was their "easy" schedule. There are a limited number of non-conference games that can be scheduled and opportunities for getting tougher teams on your dance card doesn't happen overnight. They have a tougher schedule this year and losing this game will only make them better.

One game does not a season make. Williams had a great game, Babson did not. It's early in the season and the best is yet to come.

We're off to a great start so early in the season. My guess is that the picks were based on the entire season, not just the Babson - Amherst game. Collins played with a broken right (shooting) hand in a cast against Amherst. Babson beat Bowdoin in OT, 61 - 58 the night before. Collins, with her shooting hand still in a cast, had 10 points, 9 boards and 3 blocks. She made two clutch free throws shooting lefty in OT; 2 for 2 free throws for the night, left handed. She missed the previous 6 games due to her injury. Not a bad come back. Her numbers prior to the injury were very respectable.

Wurdeman's record speaks for itself.

Unfortunately Davis got hurt early but Babson led from the start and never looked back. They had their game on tonight and will bring it tomorrow night against Colby. Emmanuel may have been "stunned" but Babson had the game from the tipoff.