In the opening weekend of the NESCAC men's basketball championship, the results stuck to the script, with all of the top seeds winning their matchups on their respective home courts. Although there were no surprises, the weekend was still bursting with a number of firsts.
At LeFrak Gym in Amherst, Mass., the top-seeded Lord Jeffs easily handled their opening-round match up with Colby, winning 86-69. The No. 8-seeded Mules were able to hang around for a while, but in the end, the Amherst offense, which shot 58 percent from the field, proved too much to overcome. Colby finished the season with a 13-12 record.
Amherst, the defending NCAA Div. III national champion, entered the tournament undefeated in conference play. However, they were 8-1 in the league last year, and they still failed to win the NESCAC Tournament, losing to Williams by one point, 70-69, in the title game.
"As we were walking on the court for our final game against Colby last week, one of the guys said, 'You know, the only thing we didn't do last year was win the NESCAC,'" Amherst coach Dave Hixon said. "So it still rubs me the wrong way."
Meanwhile, Williams' championship defense was cut short by the surprise team of the season, Middlebury. The No. 3 Panthers shot 58 percent from the field, including a blistering 12-of-16 on three-pointers, and routed the No. 6 Ephs, 96-59. The final 11:53 of play saw Middlebury outscore Williams by a whopping 36-5 margin, icing its first-ever NESCAC Tournament win.
"I think it's quite a significant win because we've had several opportunities to get to the final four," Middlebury coach Jeff Brown said. "We really feel like we've advanced the program, and we're really excited about this coming weekend."
The loss at the hands of the Panthers offers a disappointing ending by Williams' standards to a season that began with great promise. After kicking things off with a perfect 12-0 start, the Ephs struggled in NESCAC play, going just 4-5, which included a four-game NESCAC losing streak. They finished the season at 17-8 overall.
"Middlebury's an incredibly tough offensive team," Hixon said. "When they get firing, that's what they do, as Williams found out."
Meanwhile, Bowdoin proved itself a force to be reckoned with after its convincing 83-50 victory over in-state rival Bates in the four-five matchup. By avenging two previous losses to the Bobcats this year, the Polar Bears set a new school record for victories in a single season with 20.
Their reward is a trip to Amherst in the first of Saturday evening's semifinal matchups. In the regular season, the Lord Jeffs defeated the Polar Bears 85-79 in Amherst. Like Middlebury, Bowdoin will be making its first trip to the conference semifinals.
"Bowdoin has one of the best teams in NESCAC," Hixon said. "They work hard, they play well together and they're just a great team. They're the one team that probably exceeds their talents."
In Hartford, Conn., second-seeded Trinity continued its strong play and defeated in-state rival No. 7 Conn. College, 69-60. The Bantams advance to their fifth straight semifinal, and seventh in the last eight years.
But for all their first-round success, the Bantams haven't advanced to the finals since 2002. They'll get their chance on Saturday, when they take on Middlebury in the second of Saturday's two semifinal contests at Amherst. Trinity emerged victorious in the teams' lone regular-season matchup, 74-71, in Vermont.
"Trinity is a very sound team defensively," Brown said. "They really made us work and they picked up with a full-court press. They have quality players at all positions, and I really don't see any weaknesses."
Amherst and Williams have traditionally dominated the tournament in recent history. Between the two schools, they have won the past seven tournament titles, with Amherst claiming four to Williams' three. Three of the seven finals matchups have been between the Lord Jeffs and the Ephs.
However, with perennial heavyweight Williams eliminated in the first round, the chance for another team to slip through and notch an upset over Amherst remains a distinct possibility.
This weekend's semifinal contests both feature one team with an extensive postseason résumé and another making its first trip past the first round. Hixon, however, said he is unsure as to how much experience will affect the outcomes.
"If the experience factor is huge, then Williams beats Middlebury [in the first round]," he said. "But Middlebury blew them out. I hope it has something to do with it, and if it does, then the edge goes to Trinity and us. But we'll see."
"I'm not sure if that's going to be a factor," Brown said. "Our team members are really confident that we can go into a playoff atmosphere and play well. We've been very consistent all year."
The winners of each game will meet on Sunday afternoon in Amherst for the championship. Along with the hardware and the bragging rights, the winner also receives an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
"All four teams are outstanding, and I think it could go in any direction," Hixon said.
