February 24, 2023: Shenandoah with the upset in the ODAC, OAC semifinals were must-see TV
Today’s action has just tipped off with the SCAC Tournament down in San Antonio, Texas (how they are doing 10 games in 3 days, I don’t know, it’s a very tough thing to pull off, but kudos to all the folks who will be working tirelessly down there for the next 72 hours. Trinity TX has a great facility for the conference tournament). Before getting into today’s stuff, I thought I’d take a look back on yesterday’s contests, and the latest developments in conference tournaments around the country.
I wrote on Twitter that it might be the biggest upset of the week, and while that could be considered a little presumptuous, Shenandoah (as a #7 seed) taking down #2 seed Randolph-Macon in the ODAC quarterfinals was huge last night. Shenandoah, who won 66-57, went down 19-7, but battled back in incredible fashion. That’s what happens when you have a team playing with its season on the line, and especially on a neutral court. RMC, #4 in Region 6, is not out of the Pool C discussion at all. But the win for Shenandoah does keep the Hornets alive to fight another day, and in the win, Terese Greene was outstanding, scoring 22 points. Shawnise Campbell had a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double, and overall, Shenadoah’s 4th quarter was the difference. RMC was outscored 27-16 in the final 10 minutes, as the Hornets went 12-of-13 from the FT line in that span, and also shot 50% from the field on 14 shots.
In what I think most considered to be two of the best games of evening, the OAC semifinals did not disappoint.
#2 seed Marietta, on its home floor, took down #12 Baldwin Wallace (the #3 seed in the tournament), 71-65, on a monumental night for Pioneer basketball, with the Marietta men’s team also upsetting JCU in their OAC tournament matchup. Marietta continues to impress me with their rebounding in a big way. I love the aggressiveness on the boards, as they outrebounded BW 37-20 at half, and 45-30 for the game. As Michael Rejniak said on the Hoopsville Men’s Top 25 panel the other night, “Rebounding travels.” Indeed it does. If you rebound to a high level like Marietta did last night, you’ll be competitive in the game more times than not.
And in the other semifinal matchup, Otterbein took top-seeded Ohio Northern down to the wire, but it was ONU who prevailed, as Brynn Serbin converted on a pair of free throws to put the Polar Bears back in front with five seconds left. Otterbein led 51-50 prior to the FTs, but Serbin was fouled as ONU set up for the game-winning shot. Otterbein, down 52-51, had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Katie McCrary’s jumper was off the mark. What a game it was. Exhilarating from start to finish. Once again, the rebounds were a key stat. ONU had a +12 rebounding margin, and ended up with eight more second-chance points. There’s the difference right there, especially since ONU made just one 3-pointer on the night.
ONU battles Marietta for the OAC title at 2 pm EST tomorrow. You won’t want to miss that one! I could see BW, Marietta, and ONU all getting into the NCAA Tournament relatively easily, with Marietta now advancing to the championship game.
In another matchup that came down to the wire, Rhode Island College defeated UMass Dartmouth 66-60 in an LEC semifinal between regionally-ranked teams in Region 2. Mass Dartmouth had led by as many as 10 points at one point in the second half, and appeared to be on the verge of a trip to the LEC title game, when RIC caught fire, finishing the game by outscoring UMD 27-16 in the 4th. UMD was 40% from the field in the game, but just 4-of-16 in the 4th, and a few empty possessions late in the game, combined with RIC’s offensive success, were the main reason (from my perspective) for the result turning out the way it did. Another really competitive matchup. UMD’s season is likely over, though there’s still a chance that they could be in the conversation towards the end of the Pool C process in rounds 15-19. We shall see.
In a SLIAC Tournament duel, #3 seed Westminster (Mo.) took down #2 seed Greenville, 82-79. It was tied after three quarters, and in a tight 4th quarter, Westminster ended up with the final shot, which Shelby Kurtz connected on at the buzzer, sending Westminster into the SLIAC championship game against Webster. Both teams shot above 50% from the floor in that one, with Westminster 11-of-21 from 3-point range.
Merchant Marine had little trouble getting past St. Joseph’s (L.I.), winning 82-56. In a one-bid league like the Skyline, USMMA, even as the top seed, has little Pool C security if they don’t win the conference tournament. They shot 41% from the field, and won the rebounding battle by +29! This could be a team to watch if they get that Pool A and secure an NCAA Tournament bid in tomorrow’s duel with #2 seed Manhattanville in the Skyline title game. That one tips at 7 p.m. EST tomorrow.
And then, how can you forget the ARC? Wartburg and Loras each looked strong in their semifinal matchups, as each rolled to 20+ point wins, setting up a rematch between the ARC’s two heavyweights for the conference title. This will be a great one! Time still TBD, but it will either be 4 pm or 5:30 pm CT. Check back tomorrow, and I’ll be sure to have it in my conference championship games preview post.
I’m going to stop there. So much great basketball today. WIAC semifinals, MIAA semifinals (which means a rematch between Trine and Calvin) and an intriguing battle between Mary Hardin-Baylor and East Texas Baptist. Not to mention the fact that NYU can claim the UAA’s auto bid by beating Brandeis tonight. Lots to look forward to. Follow it all on D3hoops.com, which has a live scoreboard of all the contests playing out across the country!