OSWEGO, NY - The Div.III NCAA Tournament will be returning to the Max Ziel Gymnasium in Oswego, NY. The No.9 Oswego State Lakers are set to host Babson College, Williams College and DeSales University for the first two rounds of the tournament.

Oswego State earned the ability to host part of the tournament after a very successful regular season, where the Lakers finished 24-1 overall and 18-0 in the SUNYAC. They were led offensively by senior guard Jeremiah Sparks, who averaged 19.0 ppg, and junior guard Ahkee Anderson, who averaged 14.5 ppg. Another important piece on the Lakers' roster is senior forward Cartier Bowman, who averaged 9.3 ppg and accrued a team-leading average of 8.7 rebounds per game.

Although the Lakers had a strong regular season, the team failed to clinch their third-straight SUNYAC title, losing 85-80 to New Paltz in the championship game. 

Babson College's season was the opposite of the Lakers, having a very lackluster regular season with an overall record of 15-13 and a NEWMAC record of 8-8. But, they were able to defeat Clark University 73-64 to win their conference title and earn an automatic bid to the tournament. 

The Beavers were led by junior guard, Nate Amado and graduate student guard, Steph Baxter, who both averaged over 19 ppg, with Amado averaging 20.1 ppg and Baxter sitting at 19.4 ppg. They both shot over 43% from the field, with Amado sitting at 45.2% and Baxter at 43.1%. Baxter also shot 42.5% from beyond the arc.

These two teams will face off against one another on Friday at 6:00 p.m. This season, the Lakers have averaged 84.4 ppg as a team, while the Beavers sit at 69.2 ppg. On defense, opponents have scored an average of 66.6 ppg against the Lakers, and 67.3 ppg against the Beavers. In the rebounding category, Oswego State has averaged 42.6 rebounds per game, with an average of 8.2 more rebounds per game than their opponents. The Beavers averaged 38.7 rebounds per game with an average of .5 more rebounds than their opponents. 

The other first round matchup taking place inside the Max Ziel Gymnasium is between Williams College and DeSales University at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. The Williams College Ephs finished the season with a 21-6 record, and dropped the NESCAC championship game to No.4 Trinity College. They had defeated Trinity 55-54 during the regular season, but the Bantams came back with a vengeance to take the NESCAC crown, 59-52.

The Ephs were led by sophomore guard, Alex Lee and junior forward Brandon Roughley. Lee led the Ephs in scoring with 11.1 ppg, and he was followed by Roughley who averaged 10.6 ppg. The team leader in rebounds was senior center Nate Karren, who averaged 5.7 rebounds per game. 

The DeSales University Bulldogs finished the season with a 24-3 record overall and a shiny 14-0 record in the MAC Freedom conference. However, like the Lakers and the Ephs, it was not enough as they lost in the championship game to the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks 55-54. 

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by senior forward Elijah Eberly. He averaged 12.1 ppg and 5.7 rebounds per game off the bench recording only 21.1 minutes per game. He only started in one of the 27 games he played in. Another key player for DeSales this season has been junior forward Caleb Gibbs, who has averaged 11.0 ppg and 9.0 rebounds per game in 27 games played. 

The Bulldogs lead the matchup in team points per game with 77.4 compared to the Ephs 65.5 ppg. However, Williams College has held opponents to an average of 59.3 ppg while DeSales has given up 63.2. DeSales has been much more efficient on the offensive side of the court, shooting 49.4% from the field, while Williams shot 41.3%. The Bulldogs also lead in the rebounding category, averaging 39.4 rebounds per game with an average of 10.9 more rebounds than their opponents. On the other side, the Ephs averaged 36.3 rebounds per game with a .2 average difference. 

After the completion of both games on Friday evening, the winning teams will face off with one another on Saturday evening.

Tickets are available online at tickets.oswego.edu or in person at the box office. The box office will open 60 minutes before game time!

Written By: Ben Diamond
 

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