MBB: NESCAC

[speedy]

Bowdoin knocks off Williams: 78-71

[fpc85]

* Party 

[walzy31]

Bedford with 29 in 32 minutes (9-13, 3-4 deep, 8-8 fts). and Wheeler with 19 off the bench.
Olson 8 and 8A's.

Tufts 8 Assists to 21 turnovers.

I'm happy that there will be no driving involved in two weekend. I like the Williams' fans wishful thinking of a 2 seed...I guess the 6 seed will have to do.

[ajsnc13]

Looks like Williams easy path through Maine as stated in the article online turned out to be pretty difficult after all...Congrats to Amherst who is without a doubt the best team in the NESCAC for winning the 1 seed...Just as a sidenote, had Bowdoin not played awful against Conn College or had Trinity won at HOME yesterday, the Polar Bears would be the 4 seed ...watch out for Bowdoin with Petrie leading the way and Bradley and Hippert playing well...Amherst is the team to beat, but it should be a very interesting tournament..good luck to everyone...

[JeffRookie2]

Too bad for Bates having to play Williams in the first round. I know the Ephs laid an egg on the Maine trip, but they are still a dangerous team.

[Sticks11]

I believe Bates is playing Bowdoin and Williams is at Tufts actually

[Sticks11]

Nice weekend for the boys up in Waterville with Colby beating Williams on Friday and then Middlebury today to finish up the NESCAC with 4 straight wins after starting out 0-5.  One can only wonder what would have happened in the first weekend vs Bates and Tufts if Cohen played.  He had another monster game today with 27, 14 and 8 blocks.  Nick Farrell continued his solid play as well. 

Tough trip down to Trinity in the playoffs though.  Formerbant, you went to their 1st game and it wasn't pretty from what I understand, what do you have for insight in the upcoming game?

[carolina]

Well the Ephs live and Die by the three but I dont think anyone thought the Ephs had an easy trip. I must of missed that article. This year anything can happen in an Ephs game!!!!!! Thats why we play the games. Godd luck to all teams!!!!!!!

[GinoFelino]

Weekend road trip has convinced me of a few things:

1.) Amherst will win the NESCAC tournament next weekend...and, though I don't want them to get over confident, it will be more of a formality than a challenge. They are playing on a different level than any other team in the conference right now, and it seems that they can only beat themselves. Not saying they can't be beat if they don't answer the bell mentally, but basketball wise they proved they're far superior to anyone in the conference.

2.) I definetly should not starting drinking at 2:30 in the afternoon.

3.) Way too many people follow d3hoops.com for real information...for eaxample..

During today's Amherst senior night it was truly a great basketball environment. Hixon started all the seniors (who didn't miss a beat by the way) and they dominated from the get-go. Corrigan had one of the best finishes to an and one I've seen in the past 3 years. Zalaski was like the Great Wall of China on defense, and Kaz was bombing 3's like he was a reborn Craig Hodges, and Bedford was just dominate throughout.

Unfortunately, league officials, administration...whoever, decided that they couldn't let the senior enjoy their moment in the sun. First, a blatant chop block went uncalled at the end of the first half, nearly taking Corrigan's career away from him, in an attempt to keep the game close. It seems that when games get out of hand, the refs decide they need to 'balance the calls' and totally ignore the concept of impartiality...UNACCEPTABLE! Then, just when I thought the officiating couldn't be worse, a Ryan McMullen look-a-like goes on a personal vendeatta against Keith "Give me Ballz, Hixon!" Zalaski. Talk about a tough Senior Night, Ballz gets called for an egregious travel after a hustle play resulted in a turnover. Then, he gets dotted with a 3 by a kid with a quaff. (Not really the refs fault, but still warrants mentioning). Finally, after showing signs of brilliance (if anyone thinks I'm exaggerating...send a request to Amherst's AD for a copy of the game and watch the swooping lefty lay-in he drops on Tufts entire defense), the same McMullen impersonator bails out a Charles Barkley in the making with a foul call as the shot clock expired. Sadly, for everyone's sake, Hixon had to take Ballz out of the game due to foul trouble and that was that for his Senior Night. Luckily, a certain Mike Salerno, who apparently is suffering from some type of fever, took over the reins and led the Lord Jeffs to victory...long and short of it...this guy's pick for Final Four, then anythign can happen!

[Red1]

Hi,

Sticks is correct Bowdoin will travel to Bates next weekend, and Williams will travel to Tufts.  I like the looks of this because Bates should be able to handle Bowdoin in Alumni, and Williams already handled Tufts in Medford once, and hopefully they can do it again.  A Williams win willl likely pit them against Amherst since they'd probably be the lowest seed remaining.  That would leave Bates to play Trinity, a slightly better scenario for the Bobcats than a semifinal game against Amherst.  Should Colby upset Trinity that would be even better because Colby would get to play Amherst and Bates could play Williams who they had no trouble with earlier in the year.  (If you can't tell, I'm just assuming Amherst to win the whole thing with relative ease at this point.)

Question to anyone who can answer it:  What's the picture for at large bids for the NCAA tournament?  Amherst is in regardless, but what about Trinity, Bates, and Tufts what will these teams need to do to get in position for at large bids?  Or will they need to win the automatic bid to get in?

Thanks,
Red1

[ajsnc13]

All your wishful thinking will be irrelevant once Bowdoin beats Bates

[Red1]

Bates won in Brunswick this year already (and in Lewiston too, by a larger margin).  There's no reason to think Bates can't beat Bowdoin again, especially in Alumni Gym. (If this were the women's board you'd be reading a very different answer.)  Bates is undefeated at home this year, and beat Bowdoin by a whopping 88-62 in Lewiston.  I'm afraid it does not bode well for Bowdoin in Lewiston.

Cheers,
Red1

[walzy31]

Red1,

I think ajsnc13 thinks Bowdoin will beat Bates because he has seen them each play once this year. There is a problem though because ajsnc13 saw Bowdoin hang tough with Amherst, while Bates (after OT win at trin and long bus trips) was smoked in the first half and looked pretty poor. Bates is not a shabby team and can play with most of the top dawgs. They will beat Bowdoin by 11.

[ajsnc13]

Bates did win in brunswick, but the bears dominated the second half of the game.  If Bowdoin plays like they did in that half and have some composure at Alumni, then Bates could be looking at their first loss of the season. 

[ajsnc13]

i meant their first loss of the season at home.