For the second consecutive year the men and women's
basketball teams are reaping the rewards of outstanding regular seasons and are
enjoying the sweet success of postseason tournament fever.
The 17-11 Dutchmen, who won
their NCAA opener against highly touted Gwyneed-Mercy, 84-70, travel to meet
the University of Rochester Saturday night at 7 p.m.
The 18-8 Dutchwomen, who won
their ECAC opener against Hartwick, 79-57, travel to play at St. John Fisher
(which is located in Rochester) against the University of Rochester Saturday at
2 p.m.
Both games can be heard live over the Internet at: www.wysl1040.com
The women's game will be broadcast
immediately following the 12 p.m. showdown between top-seeded St. John Fisher
and No. 4 Oneonta. The Dutchmen's game
will open the pregame show at 6:45.
THE DUTCHMEN go into their game against the Yellowjackets riding the
crest of a five-game win streak and have won seven of their last eight. Union, which averaged 68.4 points during the
regular season while shooting 46.3% from the field and 39.0% from three-point
range, are averaging 83.0 points in their three playoff games (including the
two Liberty League tournament contests).
The Garnet is shooting 48.6% overall (84 of 173) and 44.8% from behind
the arch (39 of 87) while maintaining a solid effort from the free throw line
(76.4%). The smaller Dutchmen continue
to struggle on the boards, being outrebouned by an average of 37.3 to 27.0 in
the three games, but did manage to stay within three against the much taller
Griffins in the NCAA opener, 36-33 including a three-board offensive deficit of
16-13.
Junior guard John Cagianello
continues to pace the Dutchmen as he is averaging 24.7 points with classmate
forward Brian Scordato next at 20.7.
Both have had big games thus far with Scordato scoring 34 in the 88-84
Liberty League championship game victory over Hamilton while Cagianello netted
26 against the Continentals and 29 versus the Griffins. He and junior point guard Chris Murphy each
had 19 points in the 77-74 Liberty League semi-final contest against top-seeded
Hobart. Murphy, meanwhile is scoring at
a 12.3 clip with an assist average of 3.3 while sophomore guard Joe Mackey is
averaging nine points a game. Senior
forward Devon Bruce, who was kept out of the scoring column for the first time
in his outstanding four-year career against Hamilton, came back to score 15
against the Griffins and is averaging 9.3 points for the playoffs.
Overall, Cagianello leads the
Dutchmen with his 16.8 scoring average and is followed by Bruce's 13.6 and
Scordato's 11.3 averages. Murphy is
averaging 7.5 points and 3.6 assists while Mackey is at 9.2 points.
The Dutchmen are in their third
NCAA tournament, first being selected in 1982-83 and again in 200-01. Union placed third in the Eastern Regional
in their debut (losing their first game and winning the now defunct consolation
contest) and defeated LaSell, 75-73, before losing at Babson, 63-50.
Not only is this the seventh
consecutive winning season for the Dutchmen, it is their sixth appearance in
postseason play under eighth-year head coach Bob Montana.
Rochester is making its 10th NCAA Division III playoff
appearance and its fourth consecutive appearance. The Yellowjackets
participated in four NCAA College Division tournaments under the guidance of
Lyle Brown in the 1960s.
The Yellowjackets won the University Athletic Association
championship with a 12-2 record. Rochester defeated Carnegie Mellon in the
Palestra last Saturday, 62-57, to win the Association title and the automatic
bid.
Rochester's series history with Union dates back to the
early 1900s. The rivalry began in 1902-03. The teams have not played since the
1997-98 season when Union came to Rochester for an early-season tournament. The
Yellowjackets have 57 wins in the series; the Dutchmen have 34.
The rivalry also includes a five-overtime game on February
15, 1985 at the Palestra, which tied the NCAA Division III record for longest
game in history.
Sons of both head coaches attended the other institution.
Tyler Neer, son of Yellowjacket head coach Mike Neer, attended Union and played
for the men's basketball team, including the 1997-98 game against his father.
Rob Montana, son of Union head coach Bob Montana, attended Rochester as a
freshman before transferring home to Union.
Senior forward (6'6) Seth Hauben is averaging 19.5 points
and 12.4 rebounds, Jon Onyiriuka, a 6'7 freshman forward, is scoring at a 10.0
clip with 7.1 rebounds and 6'2 senior guard Brendan McAllister is averaging
10.0 points and has a team-high three-point field goals. Freshman guard Jeff Juron (Burnt Hills)
starts for the Yellowjackets and is averaging 8.4 points with 67 assists.
THE DUTCHWOMEN are appearing in their third consecutive
postseason appearance and fourth in five years under head coach Mary Ellen
Burt. This is the second meeting of the
season between the Dutchwomen and Yellowjackets with Union winning on the road,
57-55, in overtime. This is a
homecoming of sorts for Burt as she played her high school ball in Rochester
and was the Jackets assistant coach before taking the helm at Union.
Union features a trio of double-digit scorers with senior
forward Katlyn Cunningham averaging 12.1 points, classmate guard Melissa Marra
scoring at a 10.2 clip and junior guard Erika Eisenhut contributing 10.1 points
a game. Cunningham leads the rebounding
with her 7.0 average while Eisenhut is the Dutchwomen's leader in both assists
(80) and steals (66).
Marra, who goes into the weekend with 972 points, still has
a shot at becoming the eighth member of the Dutchwomen's 1,000-Point Club.
The 16-10 Yellowjackets, seeded third in the ECAC, defeated
Utica, 67-44,
Rochester women senior forward Kelly Wescott is scoring 11.8
points and 6.2 rebounds, while junior guard Jessie Graham averages 10.8 points
with 5.5 rebounds and has made at least one three-point field goal in all 26
games for the Jackets and set the team single-season record of 71. Capital District products senior center
Meghan Fish (8.9 points) and sophomore guard Emily Bango (both of Bethlehem
Central) are among Rochester's starters.
Bano has 129 assists and 89 steals and is looking to surpass the current
team record of 90.