p. Welcome to the official blog for the 2008 Flat Hat Bracket Challenge. Log on to facebook.com to sign up and get in on the madness. Both the William and Mary Bookstore and the Campus Shop are sponsoring the Challenge and putting up prizes for the winners. Best of luck to all the entrants.

**Flat Hat Bracket Challenge Standings after Elite Eight**
1. Hunter Faulkner – 99 points
2. Emily Law – 98 points
2. Lewis Martin – 98 points
2. Katie Riff – 98 points
5. Charlie Heyer – 97 points

**Flat Hat Bracket Challenge Standings after Sweet Sixteen**
1. Josh Haney
2. Quan Lu
2. Isaac Sarver
4. Ben Arancibia
4. Andrew Hampton
4. Erik Houser
4. Matt Poms
4. Kristen Stefanowicz

**Sweet Sixteen Predictions for the East and West**

By Andrew Pike, Flat Hat Sports Editor

In the east look for UNC to run past Washington State in the sweet sixteen. The Cougars have the ability to slow down Carolina, but UNC just has too many weapons. Lawson, Ellington, Hansbrough, Green, et cetera. They will overwhelm Washington St. In the region’s other contest, Louisville will knock off the Volunteers behind Padgett and company. Tennessee can score and score, but tonight their defense will let them down.

Out in Phoenix, whatever confidence West Virginia gained from beating Duke will quickly erode, as the disciplined, efficient Musketeers prove too much for the Mountaineers. The experience of Lavender and Duncan will key the X-men’s victory. In the nightcap, UCLA will bounce back from a second round scare with Texas A&M to advance to its third consecutive Elite Eight. The Bruins combine stout defense and scoring ability – valuable traits in this tournament.

By Matt Poms, Flat Hat Associate Sports Editor

North Carolina – Washington State: In perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the Sweet Sixteen, UNC will take their high-powered offense up against Washington State’s down tempo, defensive style of play. After posting 100+ points in each of their first two contests, UNC will struggle offensively as Washington State guard Derek Lowe will look to perfect his best David Schneider impression by taking the air out of the ball and limiting the touches of UNC All-American forward Tyler Hansbrough. However, the Tarheels will prevail in the end, riding the play of guard Ty Lawson into the Elite Eight.

Louisville – Tennessee: In a matchup between athletic, sweet shooting teams, Bruce Pearl’s Volunteers will prove to be the more dynamic of the pair, taking down Louisville in setting up a marquee Elite Eight matchup between Tennessee and UNC.

UCLA – Western Kentucky: The Hilltopper’s magical run has been one of the best storylines of the tournament thus far, however, their season will come to an end here after running into the brick wall defense of Kevin Love and the Bruins. Western Kentucky will fail to score 40 points as UCLA will coast into the Elite Eight.

Xavier – West Virginia: After taking down Arizona and Duke, the Mountaineers will no doubt have the support of much of the country in this matchup. Unfortunately for West Virginia, Xavier will not be similarly inclined, graciously thanking the Mountaineers for clearing the bracket of the 2nd seeded Blue Devils by scoring a decisive victory.

**Flat Hat Bracket Challenge Standings after Second Round**
1. Josh Haney
2. James McGinn
3. Hunter Faulkner
3. Stephen Minakyan
5. Eleven tied for fifth

**Flat Hat Bracket Challenge Standings after First Round**
1. Sarah Klotz
2. Hunter Faulkner
2. Ben Aarancibia
4. Nolan Chao
4. John Patrick Giddens
4. Emily Law
4. Erin Teigen
4. Mackenzie Williams
4. Chris Yamoah
10. Eight tied for tenth

Take a look below at what our “experts” are predicting for this year’s tournament, and feel free to utilize the comment function below to offer up your own insights.

**By Jeff Dooley, Flat Hat Managing Editor**

Out of the East, I like Winthrop and St. Joe’s in first round upsets, with Butler knocking off Tennessee in the second round. If Notre Dame can squeak by George Mason in round one, I like them to take down top-seeded UNC in the Sweet 16 and then beat Louisville in the Elite 8 to make it to the Final Four.

If Clemson can beat my Villanova Wildcats in round one, watch out for the Tigers to upset Kansas. However, I think the Cats will nip the Tigers. What makes Clemson capable of upsetting a top team like Kansas is its ability to play fast and physical. But against a smaller team like Villanova that can draw more foul calls, Clemson’s advantage is taken away. If the Wildcats shoot decently well, they’ll get the upset. In round two, I like Davidson over Georgetown in another upset, with Kansas cruising past Wisconsin in the Elite 8 to get to the Final Four.

The South is the worst region in my opinion because I can’t see top seeds Memphis or Texas taking care of business. I like Marquette to make it to the Final Four – the Golden Eagles are an overlooked team with excellent guard play. Upset watch: Cornell over Stanford in the first round.

In the West, I like UCLA to make it to the Final Four. Xavier will make a valiant run to the Elite 8 after Arizona clears the way for them with an upset of Duke in the second round. I like Western Kentucky to make it to the Sweet 16, with San Diego and Baylor also recording first round upsets.

Final Four:
UCLA 72, Marquette 57
Kansas 74, Notre Dame 73

National Championship:
Kansas 78, UCLA 75

**By Andrew Pike, Flat Hat Sports Editor**

I’m thinking the East will be the least upset-prone region. Contrary to what Patriots fans would have you believe, this year’s George Mason is not George Mason – not even close. Look for UNC to hold court in this bracket. A Sweet Sixteen matchup with Notre Dame could test the Tar Heels, but I don’t picture them folding (see recent wins over Duke, Virginia Tech, and Clemson for proof). Bruce Pearl’s orange blazer won’t be enough to lead the Volunteers past the Heels in Charlotte.

In the Midwest, an overrated Georgetown squad will bow out to Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Badgers in the round of 16. Stephen Curry can carry Davidson past Gonzaga, but the Hoyas have too much talent for the Wildcats. I like Michael Beasley over O.J. Mayo, and Clemson as a Sweet Sixteen team. In the end, Kansas will remain, pushing the tempo to hold off Clemson and ease past Wisconsin.

Give Texas the edge in the South. After wins over Austin Peay, Miami and Marquette, the home crowd in Houston will buoy the Longhorns to the Final Four one season after the departure of Kevin Durant. I’m picking Temple to send Tom Izzo’s Spartans home early and Marquette to knock off Stanford in round two. Memphis coasts into the Elite Eight at 36-1 and leaves 36-2 thanks to D.J. Augustin.

From the West comes UCLA. Two straight Final Fours, Collison, Love, and Shipp give the Bruins enough experience and talent to earn a trip to San Antonio. Baylor and Arizona will come up with first round wins, but that’s it. Drake’s good, but not UConn good. The Bulldogs will need to shoot lights-out from beyond the arc to beat the Huskies. Duke will emerge from the bottom of the bracket, surviving a Sweet Sixteen scare from a strong Xavier team. In the regional final, UCLA makes big plays down the stretch to end Duke’s season and leave Coach K dreaming about Olympic gold.

Final Four:
UCLA 79, Texas 70
Kansas 86, UNC 82

National Championship:
UCLA 77, Kansas 69

**By Carl Siegmund, Flat Hat Staff Writer**

National Champion: Tennessee Volunteers. What they lack in men’s basketball pedigree, they make up for in sheer athleticism. All-American guard Chris Lofton leads a cast of players that is talented enough to beat any team in the country. The Vols are well-coached and have an experienced backcourt – two of the biggest keys to a championship. If the seeds hold up, an East Regional final against North Carolina could be the most intriguing and highest-scoring game of the tournament.

Final Four — Tennessee, USC, Pittsburgh, UCLA

I started by penciling in Georgetown, instead of USC and then Stanford, instead of Pittsburgh. Then I remembered how uninspired and lackadaisical Georgetown played during their non-conference schedule. Stanford’s history of choking in the tournament also caused me to second guess my decision. USC and Pittsburgh are two of the most dangerous teams in the nation right now and can definitely make a run to San Antonio. First, Pitt will have its hands full with no. 1 seed Memphis in the Sweet 16. USC must take care of business against an upset-minded Michael Beasley and Kansas State in the first round. It’s a gutsy Final Four. I’m proud to say it’s not the same uninspired one which professional “bracketologists” are churning out.

Upsets – No. 10 Davidson will role to the Sweet 16. After battling Maryland close in last year’s first round and taking several Top 25 teams to the wire earlier in the season, the Wildcats are poised to breakthrough to the tourney’s second weekend. Mid-major darling Drake is, in my opinion, a lock for the Sweet 16, if only they can figure out how to neutralize 7’3’’ Connecticut big-man Hasheem Thabeet. No. 12 George Mason over no. 5 Notre Dame is my biggest upset. GMU seniors Folarin Campbell and Will Thomas are still not garnering the respect they deserve.

**By Chris Weidman, Flat Hat Assoc. Sports Editor**

National Champion: Congrats UNC, you get to grab the scissors and manicure the nets, sorry if I spoiled the ending.

Before giving my ‘expert picks’… My hometown teams from Philadelphia deserve praise. Temple, St. Joseph’s and Villanova all made it to the dance despite each teams valiant effort to waste solid tournament quality stretches of their season. The City of Brotherly Love has had at least one team playing in March Madness for 31 straight years. Dynasty anyone?

The Philly Matchups:
St. Joe’s over Oklahoma. The Hawks beat ranked Xavier twice in one week and have tallied eight wins over the top-100 RPI.
Temple over Michigan State. Intriguing because the Owls are on a role and Michigan State, well, they’re not.
Villanova over a tired Clemson team. Write it down, chalk it up and thank me later. The Wildcats move on to stuff Vanderbilt in the round of 32 before shooting down the Jayhawks in the Sweet 16.

Before I anger the 112 percent of our student body that hails from “NoVa,” I offer Georgetown credit as the Hoyas should reach the Final Four with Hibbert standing tall and the brilliant coaching of John Thompson III.

Did anyone see Baylor bouncing like toddlers when the Bears’ name was called Sunday? Isn’t that what sports is all about? Baylor demolishes Duke, before fading against UCLA ending a George Mason like run.

In the South region, the Panthers will chomp the Tigers as Pitt upsets Memphis only to fall to the twin towers of Stanford.

Final Four: UNC, Georgetown, UCLA and Stanford.

Avenging two late season losses to UCLA, Stanford rises to their first championship game since winning it all over Dartmouth in 1942. The other San Antonio pairing allows UNC’s Hansbrough to topple Hibbert while grabbing over 20 boards to spur the Tar Heels past the Hoyas. Sorry Lopez brothers, UNC is too good for the West Coast this year. The Heels win their second championship in four years 86-73.

**By Matt Poms, Flat Hat Assoc. Sports Editor**

Once again, it’s that time of year when millions of Americans gather around office water coolers and internet message boards to debate the relative merits and vagaries of the selections of the NCAA tournament committee. This time, however, the committee has curtly deprived us of that privilege by producing one of the least controversial brackets in recent memory.

A host of damaging, late season losses by major conference bubble teams vastly depleted the amount of squads with valid tournament resumes, leading to a fairly straightforward selection process.

When the official bracket was released, Virginia Tech and Illinois State were the only two schools with legitimate gripes about their exclusion from the field, with Oregon and Arizona profiting at their expense.

In the end, the 2008 season gave way to an extremely top-heavy field, suffering from a dearth of teams with genuine Final Four chances.

That is not to say that upsets will not be healthily evident over the first weekend.

On Thursday, look for Michael Beasley and his 26.5 ppg to single-handedly overwhelm O.J. Mayo, as 11th-seeded Kansas State as takes down sixth-seeded USC in the Midwest regional.

In the East, every William and Mary student’s favorite mid-major, the 12th-seeded George Mason Patriots, similarly drew a favorable first round matchup with no. 5 seed Notre Dame. Expect Will Thomas and company to handle an Irish squad which has failed to advance in March the past two years.

After the annual turmoil of the initial two rounds, 2008 will not see another Mason-like run, as experience will rule the hardcourts.

Both UCLA and Georgetown will return to the Final Four, to be joined by UNC and Texas.

In San Antonio, Tyler Hansbrough and Kevin Love will dominate, setting up an epic title game matchup between the two big men.

In the final, Hansbrough’s experience will win out over Love’s youth and UNC will defeat UCLA, allowing Roy Williams to cut down the nets in San Antonio for the second time in four seasons.

__Lemon, Guevel and Kazuba earn ECAC qualifiers as women take team title__

p. Kicking off its outdoor track seasons, the Tribe men and women traveled to Richmond and competed in the Virginia Commonwealth University Ram Invitational. After months of competing on small, indoor tracks, the College tested itself outdoors, as the women won the five-team meet and the men finished second.

p. “It was just kind of a low-key start to the outdoor season,” women’s Head Coach Kathy Newberry said. “A first step toward the process we want to take throughout the outdoor season.”

p. In addition to securing the win, the Tribe women brought home ECAC qualifiers and a school-record. Friday’s competition saw junior Abby Lemon throw the hammer 164’4”, breaking her own school record, qualifying for the ECAC Championships and taking first place. Meanwhile, sophomore pole vaulter Nicole Kazuba cleared 11’11.75” to top the ECAC qualifying mark and win the event. The College’s third Friday victory came in the 400-meter hurdles, as sophomore Dana Harvey beat out Wagner University’s Samantha Snukis for the victory, recording a time of one minute and 7.07 seconds.

p. Freshman Katie Guevel gave the Tribe another ECAC-qualifier Saturday, winning the heptathlon with a score of 4,941 points to set the freshman school record. A pair of personal bests in the long jump and javelin spurred Guevel to the win. Guevel faced limited competition, as only fellow freshman K.B. Brower took part in the events.

p. Juniors Ashley Madonick and Lynn Morelli provided the College’s two track wins Saturday in the 400-m and 1,500-m respectively. Madonick timed 57.18 to open her outdoor season, while Morelli clocked 4:40.60.

p. On the men’s side, six Tribe competitors earned victories, starting Friday with sophomore Kiernan Lofland in the pole vault and freshman Chris McIntosh in the 400-m hurdles. Lofland cleared the bar at 15’1,” distancing himself from the competition by nearly one foot. On the track, McIntosh crossed the line ahead of sophomore teammate Marty Ross in a time of 56.78.

p. The College men earned victories in a variety of events Saturday, as Richmond products sophomore Brandon Oliver and senior Jimmy Picard each won an event. Oliver claimed first place in the shot put with a personal best throw of 48’5.25,” while Picard raced to victory in the 1,500-m run, timing 4:00.30. Senior Rob Dennis opened his spring steeplechase season, competing at the 2,000-m distance and winning with a time of 5:57.80. Rounding out the Tribe’s victories was sophomore Doug Zimmer in the decathlon.

p. “[I was] actually real pleased,” men’s Head Coach Alex Gibby said. “We had some real nice performances.”

p. Both Newberry and Gibby mentioned the wind’s role in hindering their athlete’s performances, especially in the distance events.

p. The College returns to action March 27, starting a busy weekend of action that features four meets.

__60th-ranked College rallies on final day for a 4-1 upset victory over no. 46 Oklahoma__

p. After dropping its first two matches of the Blue Gray Tennis Classic, the 60th-ranked Tribe clawed back for an upset victory over no. 46 Oklahoma University Saturday afternoon at the Lagoon Park Tennis Center in Montgomery, Ala.

p. The College improved to 12-9 for the year (4-0 CAA) despite losses in its first two matches against no. 8 Tulsa University and no. 49 North Carolina State University.

p. The final round of the Blue Gray Classic proved friendlier to the College as the Tribe upset Oklahoma 4-1, taking two doubles and three singles matches. Junior Marwan Ramadan won his team-leading 19th match of the season in three sets to help propel the College to victory. Sophomore Keziel Juneau and freshman Sebastian Vidal also garnered wins in their singles matches, while the doubles duo of senior Kavi Sud and Vidal captured an 8-1 doubles victory.

p. “Our confidence has been shaken by some of the losses we have taken lately, but it is part of our growth cycle,” Head Coach Peter Daub said. “It was nice to beat [Oklahoma]. It was even more important for Kavi [Sud] and Sebastian [Vidal]. They gave us the energy right from the start. They got up early and we realized we could win.”

p. The highlight of the day for the Tribe came when the doubles team of senior Alex Cojanu and junior Dominic Pagon defeated no. 28 Andrei Daescu and Federico Chavarria of Oklahoma 8-5 to help seal the victory for the College. Daub credited Cojanu with a solid return game and Pagon with effective net play that helped cut off a lot of balls.

p. In the Tribe’s opening-round match with Tulsa, the College succumbed to the pressure of facing a highly-ranked opponent, falling 4-0. Tulsa entered the Blue Gray Classic as the highest ranked team in the tournament with a record of 11-2 on the year. The College dropped its three singles matches, as well as the doubles point, to the Golden Hurricanes.

p. “I didn’t think we played our best tennis against Tulsa,” Daub said. “We played the name on their shirt a little bit and how good they were, rather than taking it to them.”

p. Although his singles match was called due to Tulsa clinching victory, 124th-ranked Cojanu competed well against no. 41 Aranu Brugues of Tulsa, playing a strong first set and winning 7-5.

p. The second round of the tournament brought another tough opponent for the Tribe in the form of 2007 NCAA quarterfinalist N.C. State. The Wolfpack defeated the Tribe 4-0 Friday, sending the College to its fifth straight defeat. Due to a rain shortened day, no doubles matches were played, and Pagon, Juneau, Vidal and sophomore Richard Wardell all fell in straight sets in singles play.
The Tribe returns to the courts March 29 in Richmond when they defend their perfect CAA mark against no. 19 Virginia Commonwealth University.

The brooms were out in force Sunday at Plumeri Park as the Tribe capped an impressive three-game sweep of defending CAA regular season champs Old Dominion University with a 7-4 victory, running the team’s conference win streak to seven games.

p. Freshman pitcher Tim Norton went eight strong innings on the hill, allowing just two earned runs, while junior centerfielder Ben Guez blasted a first-inning home run to give the squad a lead it would not relinquish.

p. Junior pitcher Dexter Carter took the loss for the Monarchs while surrendering six runs in four and one-third innings, succumbing to a blistering Tribe offense that posted 27 scores over the course of the weekend. Junior designated hitter Robbie Nickle was the main catalyst Sunday, going 2 for 4 at the plate with a homer and three RBIs to back Norton’s strong showing.

p. Despite pitching with a sore arm, Norton kept the visiting hitters on the defensive, relying on a slew of early changeups and curveballs to attain favorable counts while keeping ODU back on its heels. The freshman was unbowed while facing a dangerous squad that was ranked as high as 25th in the country in some preseason polls.

p. “You just treat them like any other team,” Norton said. “My changeup was working well, while I kept them off-speed with breaking balls.”

p. Norton’s coach agreed with that assessment.

p. “He’s so good with his location on his off-speed pitches,” Head Coach Frank Leoni said. “He pounds the strike zone which makes him very effective.”

p. For Leoni, the comfortable triumph was a welcome respite from the drama of the preceding two contests — both one-run Tribe victories.

p. Friday night in the series opener, the College found itself trailing 6-0 after four and a half innings, with senior pitcher Pete Vernon struggling to find his best stuff early. However, the squad’s offense came alive in the bottom of the fifth when senior leftfielder Greg Maliniak led off the frame with a solo homer that ignited the Tribe.

p. The College added four more runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 6-5. In the seventh, Nickle added a two-out, two-run double to the barrage, providing the final margin as Vernon gutted out the start to pick up the win.

p. A day later, the squad found itself in familiar territory, again trailing by a 6-0 margin, this time after only two innings. The Tribe battled back, scoring seven runs off second-team All-American Anthony Shawler, before entering the bottom of the ninth down 12-10. After the Tribe tied the game at 12-12, Guez capped the furious rally with a game-winning single as senior Sean Grieve picked up the win in relief.

p. Because of the Tribe’s late game heroics, the squad finds themselves in strong position entering the bulk of their conference schedule, currently sitting in fourth place with a 7-2 CAA record, one and a half games back of first.

p. However, Leoni is staying grounded.

p. “I’m very happy with our current position, but we’re trying not to look too far ahead. It’s very early and this is a long season.”

**Women’s Gymnastics**
__Tribe drops close one to Towson, defeats Yale__
The Tribe had a strong performance at Towson University this weekend, finishing second out of three teams with a score of 192.025. With 193.300 points, Towson finished first, while Yale University placed third with 190.725 points. The Tribe started strong with several season-high performances on bars, and continued to tally solid scores on the beam, floor and vault. Senior gymnast Tricia Long, who was honored this week as the ECAC Gymnast of the Week, registered a career-high all-around total. Sophomore Jen Stack was honored this week by the ECAC, earning Specialist of the Week honors.

p. **CAA Men’s Basketball**
__Three CAA teams garner postseason tourney bids__
The NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed Sunday evening and George Mason University, winners of the CAA Tournament, received the 12th-seed in the East region. They will take on fifth-seeded Notre Dame (24-7) Thursday in Denver, Colo. Mason (23-10) will rely on its Final Four experience and seniors Folarin Campbell and Will Thomas. The Mason-Notre Dame game will play the winner of the match up between fourth-seeded Washington State University and 13th-seeded Winthrop University. Virginia Commonwealth University, winners of the regular season CAA crown and owners of a 24-7 record, will be headed to the National Invitation Tournament and will host the University of Alabama at Birmingham (22-10) Wednesday at 7 p.m. Old Dominion University will see postseason action in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational when they host Rider University tonight at 7 p.m.

p. **Men’s Golf**
__Parker leads College to tenth–place after day one__
Tribe freshman Brandon Parker shot an impressive opening round score of one-over par to lead the College at the First Market Bank Intercollegiate in Williamsburg Monday. Parker’s score placed the freshman in a tie for tenth overall, four strokes behind leader Andy Whalen of St. Bonaventure University. Senior Jimmy Femino registered a two-over par round to place him in a tie for sixteenth. The Tribe recorded a score of 18-over as a team to hold a tie for tenth place — 16 strokes behind overall leader Francis Marion. The final round of the intercollegiate will be played today.

__14-2 run lifts JMU over College; loss marks end of career for seniors Kaylor, James__

p. Behind a three-point barrage the Tribe raced past Georgia State University 82-60 in the first round of the CAA Tournament Thursday in Newark, Del. The next day, in its quarterfinals matchup against James Madison University, the Tribe met a less favorable outcome.

p. The College led by as many as 12 points, before a strong second-half effort from JMU pushed the second-seeded Dukes to a 53-46 win.

p. JMU captured an early lead 5-2 before DeHenzel and Kaylor provided nine consecutive points to vault the Tribe to an 11-5 advantage. The two teams then traded baskets before the College pieced together a 9-0 run with 10 minutes left in the half.

p. During the spurt, the Tribe held the Dukes scoreless, as both Portell and James both hit three pointers to go up 26-14.

p. Nevertheless, JMU put together six unanswered points to head into the locker room down six. The Tribe defense held CAA Player of the Year Tamera Young to just two first-half points.

p. The second half looked promising for the College as it continued to build its lead 35-23, following two three-pointers from Kaylor, who finished with 16 points. With 10 minutes remaining the Tribe held a 41-31 advantage, but the Dukes soon gained control of the game. JMU capitalized on several turnovers and got good looks inside, going on an impressive 14-2 tear to take the lead.

p. “We just stopped scoring,” Taylor said. “The last six minutes of the game, we couldn’t make the shots we needed.”

p. DeHenzel’s three-pointer with 3:14 remaining closed the gap, but Young’s breakaway lay-up gave the Dukes the lead. Down 50-47, the Tribe fouled the Dukes in hopes of getting the last possession. However, JMU did not falter, going 4 for 4 from the line to seal victory.

p. Like so many games this year, the Tribe failed to close out the second half against a competitive team, dropping its final record to 14-18.

p. In its opening-round game Thursday, the seventh-seeded Tribe was firing on all cylinders against the tenth-seeded Panthers. In a sign of things to come, junior Courtney Portell and freshman Katherine DeHenzel, who finished with 11 and 12 points respectively, hit a pair of three-pointers to give the Tribe an early 8-5 lead.

p. The Panthers rallied back, making a series of layups to take a 15-13 lead with 11:11 remaining, but the Tribe mounted a charge of its own. DeHenzel and Portell hit again from beyond the arc, while senior leader Kyra Kaylor’s strong play inside proved too much for the Panthers. With momentum on their side, the College put together an 11-0 run and continued to push, closing out the half up 42-32.

p. “It was a great team effort and we had balanced scoring, particularly in the first half,” Head Coach Debbie Taylor said.
The College opened the second half with a 12-2 spurt, using free throws to extend its lead to 20 points and never look back. The Tribe’s comfortable win earned a spot in the quarterfinals.

p. Kaylor led the Tribe with 17 points and 7 rebounds, and received support from Portell, DeHenzel and sophomore Tiffany Benson who all finished in double digits scoring. A major key to the College’s victory was three-pointers, as the Tribe went 10-24 from three-point range.

p. “The game really boosted our confidence and proved that we are a tough team to beat when we’re playing well,” freshman guard Katherine DeHenzel said.

p. After defeating the Tribe in the quarterfinals, JMU fell in the semifinals to Virginia Commonwealth University 69-60. VCU went onto play Old Dominion University in the title game, falling 71-64 as the Monarchs captured their 17th-straight conference championship.

p. ODU’s title-run earned them a fifth-seed in the NCAA Tournament where they will meet 12th-seed Liberty University. Meanwhile, VCU and JMU received bids to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.