Seahawks selected for ECAC Championships
CENTERVILLE, Mass. - After finishing the regular-season with a 26-2 record, Castleton State was selected as the No. 1 seed in the 2013 ECAC Division III New England Women's Basketball Championship. The tournament is an eight-team field with quarterfinal, semifinal and championship rounds. Salve Regina University women's basketball, finalist in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), was selected as the sixth seed.
The Seahawks are making their first appearance in the ECAC tournament since 1995, and third overall. Since 2002, Salve Regina has made seven appearances in the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championships representing the CCC as its league champion. Salve Regina first appeared in ECAC tournament action in 1989, and advanced to the semifinals after a 53-41 win over UMass Dartmouth (then Southern Massachusetts University).
"We never consider the ECACs as an option," said sixth-year head coach Cori Hughes, who has guided three of her teams into the NCAA Championships. "Our goal every year is to win the conference championship and its automatic bid to the NCAAs. But now, the mindset of our players must be to win the ECAC Championship, not just 'Hey, it's another opportunity to play.'"
The opportunity for the CCC Defensive Player of the Year Kaitlyn Birrell (Hope, R.I.) to reach the 1,000-point milestone is only two points away (currently 998 career points) as she led all players with 16 points in Salve Regina's 69-63 loss to the University of New England in the title game on Saturday.
In the first-round contests on Wednesday, February 27, Castleton State (26-2) will host Albertus Magnus University (20-7) at 5:30 p.m. while the second seed Suffolk University (21-7) will face No. 7 Endicott College (16-11) at 7 p.m. at Suffolk. No. 3 Wellesley College (15-10) plays Salve Regina University (17-11) at 7 p.m. at Wellesley, and Roger Williams University (19-8) will take on Westfield State University (18-10) at 7 p.m. in the No. 4/No. 5 match-up at Roger Williams.
Salve Regina defeated Wellesley earlier this season, 53-42, without Birrell in the lineup as she suffered an injury in the season-opener against Williams College in the Ephs' Tip-Off Tournament. CCC Rookie of the Year Meaghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) led all players with 18 points against the Blue on November 18, 2012, in her first collegiate start and the Seahawks' first-ever meeting with Wellesley in women's basketball.
The first-round winners will advance to the semifinals on Saturday, March 2, hosted by the highest remaining seed. The winner of Castleton State/Albertus Magnus will face the winner of Roger Williams/Westfield State in one semifinal, and the winner of Suffolk/Endicott will play the winner of Wellesley/Salve Regina in the other semifinal. The semifinal winners will meet Sunday, March 3.
2013 ECAC DIII New England Women's Basketball Championship
Quarterfinals – Wednesday, February 27
No. 8 Albertus Magnus (20-7) at No. 1 Castleton State (26-2), 5:30 p.m.
No. 7 Endicott (16-11) at No. 2 Suffolk (21-7), 7 p.m.
No. 6 Salve Regina (17-11) at No. 3 Wellesley (15-10), 7 p.m.
No. 5 Westfield State (18-10) at No. 4 Roger Williams (19-8), 7 p.m.
Semifinals – Saturday, March 2 at highest remaining seed
No. 1/No. 8 winner vs. No. 4/No. 5 winner, TBD
No. 2/No. 7 winner vs. No. 3/No. 6 winner, TBD
Championship – Sunday, March 3 at highest remaining seed
Two Semifinal Winners, TBD