MBB: MAC Freedom League

[Knightstalker]

He was the first coach of the Liberty, you are correct cold case.  Carol Blazekowski sp played for the Montclair team the played UCLA in the womens championship tournament back in the days of the WIAA or whatever it was called.

[ColonelJohn4Life]

Since 2000, the automatic NCAA bid has gone to the Freedom postseason tournament winner, meaning 1 plays 4 and 2 plays 3.  Your champions:

2000: Scranton
2001: Wilkes
2002: Lycoming
2003: Scranton
2004: Lycoming
2005: King's
2006: Scranton

Prior to that the top 4 Freedom would play the top 4 Commonwealth, with the winner getting an automatic bid.  I remember 1999 (Wilkes over Leb Val) and 1998 (Wilkes over Scranton).  My selective memory fails me on Champs from 1997 and back.

But, again, the short answer is "no".

[cold_case]

stalker, I remember Montclair being a big-time power in the old AIAW. Back then, the teams to beat, are you ready for this, Montclair, Cheyney St. and the Mighy Macs of Immaculata, among others.
Back to Adubato, I'm pretty sure he replaced Dukie V. as head coach of the Pistons. Dukie had a poor record and was quickly ousted. I think Adubato did a decent job when he took over. He later became an assistant with the Knicks.

[NEPAFAN]

That is about what I figured for titles CJ. Thanks for the post.

[NEPAFAN]

50 GREATEST GAMES
Written by Joby Fawcett / Researched by Mark Coons 06/28/2006Email to a friendPrinter-friendly
Tim Smallwood hit the shot heard around the area.

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With a bank shot from just inside half court, the guard ended years of frustration for the Marywood University men's basketball team with a 73-72 overtime win over the more-decorated Univerisyt of Scranton Royals at the John Long Center.

His basket set off a wild celebration by the Pacers, who had never defeated their cross-town rivals.

For most of the night, the Pacers appeared to be the better team. They jetted to a 20-3 advantage in the first half and had an almost comfortable 33-13 lead with 3:34 to play in the first half.

Stunned, the Royals fought all the way back.


Scranton Prep graduate Matt Snyder finally gave the Royals the lead, 56-54, with a pair of free throws with 4:57 to play.

Trailing by five, Marywood made one last push and tied the game at 66 and forcing overtime.

During the final 20 seconds of overtime, the Royals, who made only 50 percent of their free throws in the game, made one of three from the stripe and failed to build on a 72-70 lead before Smallwood's improbable shot.

The victory got the Pacers off to a 3-1 start as Smallwood led the way with a game-high 21 points. Marywood struggled the remainder of the season, finishing 6-18.

Freshman Mike McGowan led the Royals, who went on to finish 5-20 overall, with 17 points, and Ryan Rogan, who later finished his career at Marywood, added 14.

KEY MOMENT

Without question, Smallwood's shot. But another important part of the game-winner was Isiah Walker's pass that gave Smallwood the opportunity to hit the famous shot.

BY THE NUMBERS

6
3-point goals made by Smallwood, including the game-winner

18
Combined 3-pointers made by both teams

38
Free throws attempted by Scranton, which made only 19

1,144
More wins by Scranton's program in its 87-year history as compared to the Pacers, who had only 44 overall wins before this game in 10 seasons

WHAT WAS SAID. . .
"As soon as I launched it, I knew it was going in. And I knew it was going to be a bank, too."
- Pacers guard Tim Smallwood


http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16847774&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=416049&rfi=6

[ColonelJohn4Life]

It's funny.  I read the article... THEN I saw the "subject" line of that post.  Brilliance.

Scranton was 5-20 in '03-'04.  GOD, I miss those days.  Times were so much simpler.  Then-Freedom member Lycoming was benign.  DeSales would go 13-3 in the regular season, and then flop in the first round of the playoffs.  King's was Brian Horgan, and a bunch of zeroes.  I miss '03-'04...

If this is Game #47 in the Top 50, judging by what's made it so far, we can only guess at the next 46.  Seriously, despite this being a men's board, I'll nominate the Lady Royals over Bowdoin in the Elite 8 for a Top 25 spot.

If the countdown extends to Wilkes-Barre, I'll nominate the Wilkes - Rowan, and Catholic - Hunter Sweet 16 weekend of 1998, widely regarded by many as the best (non Final 4) night of D3 basketball ever.  Two games, BOTH going Double OT, win or go home.  A night like that may never happen again.

[cold_case]

If they're writing about the 50 "Greatest Games" in the area, I hope someone with an ounce of gray matter writes about the 1982-83 Mid-Atlantic Regional final between Widener and Scranton. Triple OT and it was anyone's game to win until four seconds remained.
They can add the Wilkes victory over Cabrini in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals when Jay Williams drilled a pile of three-pointers down the stretch to snatch a victory.
If they're looking for the most "Improbable Comeback" that would be the 1977 game between Kutztown and Scranton in the opening round of the Monarch Classic at King's. Down six with seven seconds left and without possession of the ball, Scranton, thanks to stupidity on Kutztown's part, got the win on a desperation 35-footer from Phil Johnson.

[ColonelJohn4Life]

However, if it turns into a Greatest Upset countdown, one need only look to November 1992 for your #1.  Wilkes, who at that point was nobody, with a rookie head coach, goes to the Long Center for the Laurel Line tournament. At the LL Tourney, Scranton perennially beat Marywood and then beat Wilkes / Misericordia, generally with a final score of 120-6.  Long story short, Wilkes pulls off the upset, their first win over Scranton. 

My fear, though, is that any Scranton Times countdown ends up with Gerry McNamara at #1.  The top 3 Scranton sports moments, as I predict them:

3. McNamara hits 6 first half 3's, as Syracuse wins National Title (2003)
2. McNamara leads "the crappy Scranton Bishop school" to a State Title (2002)
1. McNamara wears his "Overrated" t-shirt, winning the Big East Title (2006)

[NEPAFAN]

However, if it turns into a Greatest Upset countdown, one need only look to November 1992 for your #1.  Wilkes, who at that point was nobody, with a rookie head coach, goes to the Long Center for the Laurel Line tournament. At the LL Tourney, Scranton perennially beat Marywood and then beat Wilkes / Misericordia, generally with a final score of 120-6.  Long story short, Wilkes pulls off the upset, their first win over Scranton. 

My fear, though, is that any Scranton Times countdown ends up with Gerry McNamara at #1.  The top 3 Scranton sports moments, as I predict them:

3. McNamara hits 6 first half 3's, as Syracuse wins National Title (2003)
2. McNamara leads "the crappy Scranton Bishop school" to a State Title (2002)
1. McNamara wears his "Overrated" t-shirt, winning the Big East Title (2006)

I don't think they get the Scranton Times in the Syracuse area , so you might not have to worry. Alright enough with all the upsets of scranton. Cold Case, what was Scranton's biggest upset?

[saratoga]

Possibly the biggest Scranton upset of a pretty good team came in 1969 when the Royals knocked off Seton Hall 77/76 in OT. Granted the Hall was not the Hall of today , but for that era they were still Big time B-ball. They were also coached by none other than Bill Rafftery. The game that comes in as either a close second or perhaps the biggest win depending on who you talk to would be Scranton knocking off Army 57/55 in 1976. In that win, Bess "outcoached" another pretty good basketball mind by the name of Mike Krzyzewski. And CJ, that "crappy" school GMac went to & won a State Title in Scranton...they just keep on winning don't they...another State Final this year . All things considered...probably not much different than that "crappy Bishop" school down Kingston way!

[ColonelJohn4Life]

'Toga, a little friendly rivalry.  We agree that either school is better than the crappiest Bishop in Dunmore.   Hannan only got their State title when an NBA-caliber PG rolled through.  O'Reilly racked up two with a tall guy and a low-level D-1 PG.

Bess and Coach K in the same building.  Wow.  There's a joke to be had here, but, for the life of me, I got nothing.  ("Sheesh, 1300 wins and not ONE _______ between them.")  I sense a game of "Match Game 06" about to break out. 

[NEPAFAN]

50 GREATEST GAMES

#39

Scranton vs. Wittenberg
-Men's basketball
-March 19, 1983

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16884083&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=416049&rfi=6

[ColonelJohn4Life]

I don't know, those 13 more free throws for the Royals... sounds a little suspicious.   

[Gregory Sager]

Without question, one of their best-ever teams was the 1979-80 squad led by center Steve Keenan and guard Fennell Fowlkes, whose brother Tyrone later played at Scranton.

Don't forget their waterbug PG, Elonya "Tiny" Green. He's the guy who put the ball in Keenan's hands, and he was a pretty dynamic scorer in his own right.

[cold_case]

Greg, good follow up with Green. I forgot about the little guy.