Live Coverage and Quick Facts on the E8 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2012-2013 Empire 8 Athletic Conference (E8) Men's Basketball Playoff field has been set, with four teams battling for a chance to win the postseason conference championship and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. The playoffs begin Friday, February 22, with the Stevens Institute of Technology hosting the two-day tournament.
Schedule
Friday, February 22 - Semifinals
No. 1 Stevens vs. No. 4 Utica – 6 p.m.
Webcast
Live Stats
No. 2 Ithaca vs. No. 3 St. John Fisher – 8 p.m.
Webcast
Live Stats
Saturday, February 23 – Final
Stevens/Utica vs. Ithaca/Fisher – 3 p.m.
Webcast
Live Stats
Fans can follow the webcast courtesy of
Empire8.tv.
Participating Teams Twitter Coverage:
Ithaca @BomberSports
St. John Fisher @Fisherathletics
Stevens @StevensDucks
Utica @UCPioneers
Empire 8 @empire8
Commissioner Mitrano @ChuckMitrano
Tournament Webpage
Before the action begins, here are some quick facts you should know about the conference tournament. (
*Quick facts will be based on the current tournament format years 2004-2013).
The Empire 8 will employ a four team tournament format for the 10
th straight year. Prior to the 2004 tournament, the E8 champion was determined based on the regular season finish.
Two of the four teams that qualified for the 2012 E8 Tournament return again this season. Hartwick and Nazareth have been replaced by Fisher and Utica.
Three E8 tournaments have played out according to seeding (2005, 2006, 2007).
The #1 seed is 5-4 in the semifinal game of the tournament. #2 seed (5-4), #3 seed (4-5), #4 seed (4-5).
The #4 seed has advanced to the championship game three of the last four years, winning the conference title for the first time last season.
The #3 seed has won the title three times (2008, 2010, 2011).
The #2 seed has won the title once, in 2009.
The #1 seed has not won the conference title since 2007.
2013 marks the first time Stevens will serve as the number one seed. The Ducks have made the postseason every year but one (2009) since joining the conference in 07-08 but have never been the #1 seed.
Stevens has never played in the Championship game.
Ithaca returns to the tournament as the only team to make an appearance in each of the conference’s 10 tournaments.
The Bombers advanced to the title game for the first time last season.
Fisher enters the Empire 8 tournament on an eight-game winning streak.
Fisher has advanced to the Championship game all seven years they have made the tournament, winning the title four times.
Utica won seven of its last nine contests to earn its first tournament bid since the 2008-09 season.
Utica has advanced to the title game three of five times.
Ithaca returns as the defending champion from 2012. The last time a team won back-to-back titles was by Fisher from 2004-2007.