D3 Championship Belt

[lmitzel]

Only took going to the Salem Civic Center for the 34th time for The Belt^TM to change hands.

2024-25 Belt^TM Path
3/16/24: Trine
12/7/24: UW-Stevens Point
12/20/24: Randolph-Macon
3/1/25: Guilford

This is Guilford's first time in possession since last season.

[lmitzel]

So Guilford will be taking The Belt^TM to Atlanta for the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Their first round opponent, Berry, held The Belt^TM during the 2021-22 season for like 24 hours if memory serves.

The other first round matchup down there is between Huntingdon, who has never had The Belt^TM before; and Emory, who last had possession during the 2007-08 season. That is also the last time the Woodruff Center was the site of a Belt^TM game; they'll get two this weekend.

[lmitzel]

Been a minute since we've seen a handover this early.

Berry 80
Guilford 77

The Vikings hit a go-ahead three with about a minute to go to get what turns out was their first ever win in the NCAA Tournament.

2024-25 Belt^TM Path
3/16/24: Trine
12/7/24: UW-Stevens Point
12/20/24: Randolph-Macon
3/1/25: Guilford
3/7/25: Berry

One and done: '25 Guilford, '17 Bethel, '12 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, '09 Transylvania, '08 Chicago
Round of 32: '19 Nebraska Wesleyan, '18 York (PA), '07 Hampden-Sydney
Sweet 16: '23 Randolph-Macon, '20 Elmhurst*, '14 Albertus Magnus, '11 UWSP, '10 Wooster
Elite 8: '16 Alma
Final 4: '13 St. Thomas
Title Game: '22 Elmhurst, '15 Augustana
Champion: None

Berry's second time in possession of The Belt^TM will pit them against host Emory.

[lmitzel]

Emory 84
Berry 68

2024-25 Belt^TM Path
3/16/24: Trine
12/7/24: UW-Stevens Point
12/20/24: Randolph-Macon
3/1/25: Guilford
3/7/25: Berry
3/8/25: Emory

For the second time in their history, Berry won The Belt^TM on the first day of a two day tournament, then didn't get to take it home as they lost the second game. Emory, meanwhile, takes possession of The Belt^TM for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

The Eagles will take on Mary Washington in the Sweet Sixteen; they've had The Belt^TM a few times, most recently back in the 2022-23 season. Meanwhile, I got to put a new marker on the map as this pod will take place at Wesleyan University; the Cardinals have never hosted a Belt^TM game before.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wesleyan hosted a Belt battle with Williams, which they lost in overtime on January 7th, 2004, one game before Williams lost the belt to Amherst.

[lmitzel]

Wesleyan hosted a Belt battle with Williams, which they lost in overtime on January 7th, 2004, one game before Williams lost the belt to Amherst.

So Stealth Era ^TM, which I didn't have on the map. That tracks.