Amherst Locks Up Top Seed on Final Day of Regular Season

HADLEY, Mass. - The final weekend of the Men’s Basketball regular season provided plenty of excitement across the conference, with playoff positions on the line in nearly every game, including a battle for the top seed between Amherst and Tufts Saturday afternoon. Once the dust settled, Amherst emerged as the number-one seed with a convincing 99-70 victory at home to give the Jeffs the top seed for the second season in a row. The 2006 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Championship begins on Saturday, February 18, with quarterfinal round action taking place at each of the top four seeds.

In the midst of a 12-game winning streak, Amherst (22-2, 8-1 NESCAC) has not lost since dropping an 88-85 overtime affair to Trinity on Saturday, Jan. 14 in Amherst, the NESCAC opener for both teams. Amherst, the defending NESCAC Men’s Basketball Champion, will take on eighth-seeded Connecticut College (13-10, 3-6 NESCAC), which is making its first appearance in the eight-team tournament since the winter of 2002. The Camels capped off the regular season on Saturday with a win over Wesleyan, 69-51. The lone meeting of the season between the Jeffs and the Camels saw Amherst secure an 83-52 victory on Saturday, Jan. 21 in New London. This is the first time that the two teams have met in the NESCAC tournament.

Trinity (17-5, 7-2 NESCAC) snapped a brief two-game skid Saturday afternoon to end the regular season on a high note, as the Bantams’ 89-79 win over Bates guaranteed Trinity the second-seed in this year’s tournament. Trinity will take on seventh-seed Colby (10-13, 4-5 NESCAC) next Saturday in the quarterfinal round. Winners of their last four outings, the Mules have been picking up momentum at the right time as they finished the regular season with a pair of victories over Williams on Friday (67-61) and Middlebury on Saturday (78-64). While it is the second-straight tournament appearance for Colby in the seven slot, Saturday’s meeting at Trinity will be the first between the two teams in the playoffs. The Bantams won the lone meeting of the season, 68-48 on Friday, Jan. 27 in Hartford.

Tufts (19-5, 6-3 NESCAC) had collected some big wins entering Saturday’s tilt with Amherst, knocking off previously-unbeaten Bates last Saturday (91-76) and a hard-fought 84-80 overtime victory over Trinity last night. The Jumbos may have come up short in their quest for their first-ever first place finish, but they will be playing a quarterfinal game for the second consecutive year at home in Cousens Gymna-sium, where they posted a 10-1 record this season. As fate may have it for Tufts, it will host sixth-seed Williams (17-7, 5-4 NESCAC), the lone team to beat Tufts this season at Cousens, 82-80 on Friday, Jan. 20. Since that game, the two teams have had very different results. Tufts went on an eight-game tear before falling today at Amherst, while Williams has been 3-4 during that stretch. The two teams have met twice during the NESCAC tournament, with both games going the Ephs way.

Bates (19-5, 6-3 NESCAC) enters the NESCAC tournament as the fourth seed, and its game against fifth-seeded Bowdoin (15-8, 5-4) will have more than just a playoff feel to it. The Polar Bears earned the right to play their intrastate rival with a pair of victories over the weekend, a 58-56 win over Middlebury on Friday along with a 78-71 victory over Williams Saturday afternoon. Bates and Bowdoin met twice during the 2005-06 season with the Bobcats winning both times, the first an 88-62 non-conference win in Lewiston, Maine, on Tuesday, Dec. 6, followed by a 57-54 decision on Friday, Jan. 13 in Brunswick. The two teams have met once before in the quarterfinals during the 2004 tournament. Bates, then the fifth seed, defeated fourth-seeded Bowdoin 87-82.

2006 NESCAC MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Quarterfinals - Saturday, February 18 at Higher Seeds
No. 8 Connecticut College at No. 1 Amherst - 3:00 p.m.
No. 7 Colby at No. 2 Trinity - 3:00 p.m.
No. 6 Williams at No. 3 Tufts - 3:00 p.m.
No. 5 Bowdoin at No. 4 Bates - 4:00 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, February 25 at Highest Remaining Seed
Highest remaining seed vs. Lowest remaining seed - 2:00 p.m.
Remaining first round winners - 4:00 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, 26
Semifinal winners - 12:00 p.m.