SLIAC

[y_jack_lok]

Webster with a slightly different geographic look to its non-conference schedule this season. They face two east coast teams -- Babon (Massachusetts) and Lynchburg (Virginia) -- in Nashville. They start the season hosting Macalaster (Minnesota) and play the winner of Hanover (Indiana) vs Sewanee (Tennesse). Three more nearby non-con opponents in Illinois College, Augustana, and Knox.

[hopefan]

Webster/Westminster both finish 17-1 in conference.... Split with each other... Westminster be hosting next weekend.   Did it come down to Technical fouls?  Or coin flip?

Crazy.. I reviewed box scores .... Westmin 1 tech in 18 conference games, Webster 2 techs....tough way to lose host role, but everyone knew that this 5th level tie breaker was out there..

[hopefan]

Principia beats Westmin on Westmin's court ?  What?  How???

So much for a Webster - Westmin  Championship game...

CRAZY

[y_jack_lok]

Principia wins its first ever tournament championship 69-67 over Webster in a wild finish. The SLIAC is almost always a one bid league when it comes to tournament selection. However, with the NCAA this season using NPI to determine at-large bids Webster may still have a shot. Preceding today's game Webster was ranked 41st in NPI. Most teams with NPI in the 40's were identified here https://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=2920.840 as likely getting the final seven Pool C bids -- depending, of course, on how conference tournaments play out. Principia was #230 in NPI, so Webster's loss today will drop them down a bit in NPI, but will it knock them out?

[scottiedawg]

Webster will fall to about 56th.

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ As of this morning's NPI run on D3 Datacast and the NCAA https://stats.ncaa.org/selection_rankings/nitty_gritties/43136 Webster is #59 in NPI. That likely kills any shot the Gorloks had at a Pool C bid.

[hopefan]

Prin Coach deserves recognition!!!
To beat Westmin and Webster back to back!!!  Really pretty incredible....

[y_jack_lok]

Prin Coach deserves recognition!!!
To beat Westmin and Webster back to back!!!  Really pretty incredible....

Ditto that.

[y_jack_lok]

Principia was the talk of this board at the end of last season, so let's talk about them again to start the new season. Their schedule is posted and among their games is a trip to Washington, DC in mid-December to face a couple of ODAC schools -- Randolph-Macon and Roanoke -- in a four team "Classic" at Catholic University. Randolph-Macon is my alma mater. They were 29-2 last season and made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Their two losses were to the same team (Gettysburg in the 2nd game of the season and in the Sweet Sixteen). But RMC graduated three key players, whereas Principia had only one senior last season. I'll be looking forward to this game.

[scottiedawg]

RMC also does not return 2024-25 Sophomore Bella Bruce, who started 23/31 games and played 719 minutes (transferred to Montclair St.).

I'm fascinated by Principia playing 4 games in 5 days 11/21-25/25!

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ Prin has actually put together quite a non-conference schedule. In addition to the two ODAC opponents, they've scheduled three WIAC opponents. Also, not counting the Oct 23rd game vs UMSL, which I assume is an exhibition, they are showing a total of 26 games, 10 being non-conference. Unless something has changed, that's one more game than allowed, right?

Thanks for the info on Bella Bruce. Will move any future comments on that to the ODAC board.

[scottiedawg]

^^^ Prin has actually put together quite a non-conference schedule. In addition to the two ODAC opponents, they've scheduled three WIAC opponents. Also, not counting the Oct 23rd game vs UMSL, which I assume is an exhibition, they are showing a total of 26 games, 10 being non-conference. Unless something has changed, that's one more game than allowed, right?

Yes, once the season starts on 11/7, a team can only have 25 D3 games. Principia will need to eliminate one of those games.

My data currently has Principia's schedule:
193rd most difficult overall
250th most difficult Conference schedule
57th most difficult Non-Conference Schedule