If it’s March, every College Basketball fan knows it’s time for March Madness. A pair of schools from the DC metropolitan area will put on their dancing shoes. Catholic’s women’s team heads to Christopher Newport University to play Lynchburg College in the first round of the NCAA Div. III Championship Tournament. Marymount travels to Greensboro, N.C., for a first-round matchup with host Guilford College. Play begins March 3.
Catholic University (23-4) is ranked fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Region behind Landmark Conference foe Scranton University, and the Capital Athletic Conference’s top two teams, Christopher Newport and Mary Washington.
Albright is fifth followed by Messiah, Marymount and Morivan.
Plenty of talent
MU point guard Laura Hurst (St. Mary’s Annapolis) was named All-CAC first Team this week. She led the conference in assists with 5.1 per game. The Saints (22-5) have a short bench and five of the players average between nine and 11 ppg. Marymount is 14th in the nation in defense allowing only 50.4 ppg.
The Cardinals are led by Landmark Conference Player-of-the-Year Michelle DeSantis. The senior averages 15.9 Points Per Game and 4.2 assists. Bernadette Launi (Good Counsel) and Melissa Errico were named second team all-conference. CU ranked third in the nation sinking 37.6 percent of their three-point attempts.
Scranton (24-3) hosts the first two rounds.
The Lady Royals open the tournament against the University of New England on Friday. Seniors Sarah Payonk (11.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg) and Alexix Roman (17.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg) lead Scranton.
Matchups.
The Captains (25-2) take on the College of Staten Island (22-6). CNU is led by Sam Porter (Mount Vernon). She was named first team All-CAC after scoring 12.5 points per game and averaging 7.2 rebounds.
The University of Mary Washington (23-4) squares off against Sage Colleges of Albany, N.Y. The Eagles are paced by CAC Player-of-the-Year Brianne Comden. The 2016 All-America honorable mention pick by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association averaged 15.5 ppg and 5.7 assists per game.
Albright’s (22-5) first round game in the Ncaa Tournament against Piedmont will start at 5:30 p.m.
The game will be the first of a doubleheader with Marymount (Va.) and host Guilford playing in the second contest at 7:30. The Falcons will face Babson College in the First Round on Friday in a game scheduled at host FDU-Florham.
Morivan is the only team in the group not invited by the NCAA. The Greyhounds hosted a first-round game in the 2017 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Championship Tournament March 1.
