WBB: NESCAC

[Maine 1]

Agree with everything that the prior posters have said.  Two great teams from what is clearly the top conference in the league. I will just note that Tufts is as good defensively as Amherst, and Bowdoin was able to handle them in this tournament run.  Bowdoin just has to get themselves up one more time (and I think they will).  I also wanted to note that I have been extremely impressed with the Bowdoin coach. She really seems to be a class act.  I hope both teams play at their best.

[polbear73]

Coach Shibles has done a fantastic job with the Bowdoin program, especially when one considers that she succeeded the wildly successful Stephanie Pemper, never an easy thing to do.  She has established her own legacy of accomplishment, which certainly hasn't been easy since the NESCAC arrivals of G.P. Gromacki and Carla Berube.  She's very deserving of the Polar Bears' success this season. 

[PolarBearPA]

Fortunate that I am in MN to watch Bowdoin in person. Tremendous effort last night. Wartburg brought a huge crowd with them and the Polar Bears did not blink. Very selfless team. Will be a great game tonight vs Amherst.

[old_hooper]

Agree with everything that the prior posters have said.  Two great teams from what is clearly the top conference in the league. I will just note that Tufts is as good defensively as Amherst, and Bowdoin was able to handle them in this tournament run.  Bowdoin just has to get themselves up one more time (and I think they will).  I also wanted to note that I have been extremely impressed with the Bowdoin coach. She really seems to be a class act.  I hope both teams play at their best.

Maine1, to say that Tuffs defensive is as good as Amhersts: Tufts average per game 48.3 #7 nationally, Amherst 38.6 #1.  Amherst only allowed opp 3 times to score over 50.  WPI was #2 national at 47.1 per game or a 8.5 pt difference, not even close.  Coach Gromecki has made defense a high priority in this years success and it has paid huge dividends.  They held Thomas More who averaged 85 per game #3 nationally to 48.  Don't think many would have given Amherst a chance to be in this position at the beginning of the year.  If Amherst can hold game below 50, I like their chances.  Bowdoin played outstanding against Wartburg but defensively (Wartburg) they made no adjustments noticeable after the half to change the game.  It will be a fun game to watch because they are both deserving for to be playing for the championship.

[NE Jeffs Fan]

Agree on all points about Shibles.  NESCAC is fortunate to have a high level of coaching which has put it on the top of the DIII leagues for the moment.  Since most of the Finals are usually played in the Midwest somewhere, teams like Thomas More, Wartburg, Wash U, Hope, DePauw (to name a few) bring huge crowds often with mascots, bands and cheerleaders....not things usually seen in NESCAC play.  Takes a bunch of concentration to block all the noise and play your game.

Just noticed in my "local" listings that CBSSN (CBS Sports Network) is covering men's game at 6pm, but not Women's game at 8:30 so I hope the streaming audio better tonight.  If we'd known again that it would be two NESCAC teams playing for the title, NESN should have come for the coverage.

[NE Jeffs Fan]

Congrats to Amherst!!!  What can you say about their suffocating defense and some great shots under pressure.  3 Sophomores and a junior start so should continue to be strong.

[ronk]

 Emma McCarthy easily was the main factor in the game in addition to the neutralization of Abby Kelly from approaching her production in the Wartburg semifinal and the ability of the Amherst starters to play the whole game without a dropoff.

[gordonmann]

Here's my Ode to Amherst, in an effort to capture describe its defensive excellence for posterity.

I had a lot of fun covering the Tournament finals this weekend. Both Amherst and Bowdoin should be very proud of how they represented the NESCAC and Division III basketball overall.

http://www.d3hoops.com/playoffs/women/2018/amherst-mammoth-defense

[Maine 1]

Congratulations to both Amherst and Bowdoin.  Amherst clearly the better team last night and for the season.  I have been watching Gromacki and Amherst teams since his first season at Amherst, and no matter who has been on the team, the one constant is that there defense is better than anyone else.  They context all perimeter shots, and their defense is so suffocating that when a shooter does get an open shot, they generally hurry the shot and the result more often than not is a miss.  Great defense and McCarthy was definitely the difference as Bowdoin could not stop her. 
Bowdoin was bound to have an off night (not an excuse, just a fact)--and that was compounded by the stifling defense of Amherst.  From the very start it never looked or felt like anyone from Bowdoin was "on". Put  Bowdoin should be extremely proud of a great season, and a great run through the tournament, taking out Scranton in Scranton, Tufts and Wartburg.   The D3 title runs through the NESCAC.  Maybe the final four should be in Boston next year.

[NE Jeffs Fan]

Maine1, love the thought of the Final Four on the East Coast.  Great article, Gordon.  Didn't realize that junior, McCarthy was out of eligibility, but I do remember that she transferred to Amherst.  Congrats to both Bowdoin and Amherst.  For the moment the NESCAC sits atop DIII Women's Basketball.

[polbear73]

Congratulations to Amherst; what a terrific accomplishment and there is probably more to come. What is it about the name McCarthy at Amherst that seems to doom Bowdoin! A truly great season for the Polar Bears. Both teams represented NESCAC very well.

[ECSUalum]

Congratulations to Amherst Women's BB for their National Championship and the excellence they have brought to the game!!

[amh63]

Gordonmann...enjoyed your writeup!  Yes, Emma, a transfer from Fairfield, was put in a game her FY and lost a year of play....even after Amherst filed for reconsideration.  Emma was recovering from a "hip" problem early in the season when I dropped by late in the Fall for Homecoming.  One of Amherst's juniors was also recovering from an injury.  Amherst brought in only one player this year.  She got in with her sister in the last few minutes and scored 4 points.  Both talented players are local players from nearby Granby...their father is a HS principal.  The older sister won a NCAA award this weekend for her "smarts".  Yes, Amherst loses 4 players.  As I posted earlier, it is rumored that HC G.P. has 4 talented players coming in...more length?.  Note that Amherst tends to play with a " short"
Bench...but a bench full of talented players that can step in.
Hope they are on ronk's list .
Oh yes, there are three players...two starters...that are multi-sport players.  One reason that talented student athletes pick D3 schools vice D1...even over the Ivies.

[PolarBearPA]

Game was close through 3 quarters but Amherst just had too much. Hats off to the National Champs & what a fine season for Bowdoin. A lot of fun watching this Polar Bear team play this year.

[ronk]

Gordonmann...enjoyed your writeup!  Yes, Emma, a transfer from Fairfield, was put in a game her FY and lost a year of play....even after Amherst filed for reconsideration.  Emma was recovering from a "hip" problem early in the season when I dropped by late in the Fall for Homecoming.  One of Amherst's juniors was also recovering from an injury.  Amherst brought in only one player this year.  She got in with her sister in the last few minutes and scored 4 points.  Both talented players are local players from nearby Granby...their father is a HS principal.  The older sister won a NCAA award this weekend for her "smarts".  Yes, Amherst loses 4 players.  As I posted earlier, it is rumored that HC G.P. has 4 talented players coming in...more length?.  Note that Amherst tends to play with a " short"
Bench...but a bench full of talented players that can step in.
Hope they are on ronk's list .
Oh yes, there are three players...two starters...that are multi-sport players.  One reason that talented student athletes pick D3 schools vice D1...even over the Ivies.

I know that you have a Mammoth network of Amherst confidants; when you get the names, send me a PM and I'll let you know if I've seen them play. Haven't heard of any Amherst 2018s yet, but both sides have tightened security in view of the 2016s'(current sophs) situation.  I only have a couple undeclareds left on my 2018 list that Amherst MIGHT be interested in but even 1 of those is probably going to play D1 soccer rather than D3 basketball.
  Was talking last weekend with a Williams' assistant(former Scranton star) at the Scranton sectional involving Tufts and Bowdoin, also, but she said she wasn't scouting those NESCAC schools; was there to support Scranton, instead. Forgot to inquire who Williams had coming in next year; must be getting old.