Bulldogs’ Bid Gets a Boost
DeSales (11-0 in conference) will be the #1 seed heading into the MAC Freedom tournament. But could the Bulldogs snag an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, if needed? Now 17-3, they will be heavy favorites in all five games remaining in the regular season. Winning out and adding a MACF semifinal victory would have them at 23-3 heading into the title game. Currently 27th nationally in Matt Snyder’s efficiency ratings, the Bulldogs would certainly be mentioned among teams on the bubble at that point with a winning percentage above .850 even if they lose the championship game. The largest concern is that the remainder of the conference is relatively weak this year, leaving DeSales with just two or three “quality” wins on its resume.
Lycoming Limps Home from DeSales
After a huge OT win at home over Wilkes on Thursday, Lycoming (7-4) had a quick turnaround before a two-hour bus ride to DeSales for a Saturday afternoon game. Fatigue was evident at the start of the game, with the Warriors falling behind 15-4 and 29-12. For the game, the Warriors went 4-23 from behind the arc and lost 90-47 to the top team in the league. The good news? They get a bye on Wednesday and therefore have a week to rest and prepare for a home game against Delaware Valley next Saturday. That will be the first of four in which the Warriors are likely to be favored. Win all of those and they will lock up the second seed and be home for a MACF semifinal.
Cardiac Kids from Castle Point
How big was the Ducks’ win at Wilkes yesterday without their top player Jack Spellman? It gave them sole possession of third place when a loss would have dropped them into a tie for sixth. More importantly, it means that Stevens has a season sweep of the Colonels, which could come into play to determine seeding for the MACF tournament. Now at 6-5 in conference play, Stevens remains one game back of Lycoming for second place. The two teams meet on February 18 in the final regular season game. But that is only a battle for second if the Ducks are tied or a game back. The more likely scenario is that a battle for 3rd place might come down to Stevens and Wilkes, which makes yesterday’s win crucial for the Ducks to avoid the 4/5 play-in game. The Colonels still have four games left against top-7 teams, including two road games. The Ducks have just three games remaining against that group and two of those happen to be in Hoboken.
What a Week for Wilkes
The Colonels suffered two heartbreaking losses this week and now sit at 5-5 in conference play. On Thursday night, the Colonels trailed on the road at Lycoming 52-40 with 12:27 remaining and used a 20-4 run to grab a 4-point lead with 4:48 remaining. Perhaps because of the energy expended during that stretch, they managed only one more field goal in regulation and lost in OT when Lycoming’s Steven Hamilton hit a tough shot in traffic at the buzzer. Less than 48 hours later, in their own gym, the Colonels led Stevens by 9 with 1:46 to play but could not manage another point. The Ducks capped an 11-0 run with a 3-pointer at the buzzer by freshman Matt Leming to win 65-63. The road for Wilkes gets no easier as DeSales visits Wednesday.
Game to watch this week:
Arcadia at Delaware Valley (Wednesday, 6:00pm)
These two met at Arcadia on December 7, with the Aggies prevailing 53-51 in a defensive game in which the Knights turned it over 24 times. The rematch feels like an elimination game. Now sitting at 5-6 in conference, the Knights cannot afford to lose this one, especially given their remaining schedule which includes road games at Stevens and Wilkes before the home finale versus DeSales. The Aggies, 5-5 and winners of three straight, also need to stockpile wins as they are likely to be underdogs in three of their final five games.
Player of the Year Watch:
Eberly (DeSales) and Harward (Lycoming) are the front-runners. Watkins (Arcadia) and Lazdowsky (Misericordia) are the prime candidates to challenge them. Spellman (Stevens) has missed two straight games but remains in contention for all-conference honors.
