Fisher Set to Host NCAAs
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College men's basketball team was selected as one of 16 hosts from around the country for the first and second rounds of the 2017 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship as action takes place Friday and Saturday, March 3-4 on Bobby Wanzer Court in Manning and Napier Varsity Gym.
Nationally-ranked Tufts will get things started when it battles Salem State at 5:30 p.m. on Friday while Fisher takes on St. Lawrence at 7:30 p.m. The winner of each contest will advance to the second round at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Want to know more about the four teams competing to move on to the Sweet 16 next weekend? We've got you covered. Check out the game notes below:
TICKETS: Tickets are available to the public and can be purchased at the door. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, students and children over two years of age. Children under two are free.
HOW CAN I WATCH?: All three games this weekend will be broadcasted via
Cardinals All-Access. Fans can tune in for free by clicking
HERE. Live stats will also be available for all games played and can be accessed
HERE. Additionally, follow the official Twitter account for St. John Fisher Athletics,
@FisherAthletics, for in-game updates, scores, news and much more.
HOW THEY EACH GOT HERE: Fisher made its way into the Field of 64 after winning the Empire 8 Conference's automatic bid in an 80-69 win over Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday. The win marked the eighth time since 2000 that Fisher claimed the conference crown. Salem State also won its conference as the Vikings defeated Worcester State, 100-82, to win the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship. Tufts and St. Lawrence made their way into the tournament courtesy of an at-large bid.
FISHER IN NCAAS: The Cardinals last played in the NCAA Championship in 2015 and made the most of their appearance. Fisher defeated both Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Amherst to advance to the Sweet 16 before falling to Randolph Macon. In all, Fisher has reached the Dance 16 times in its history and made it all the way to the Elite 8 in 2006. The Cardinals have advanced to the Sweet 16 three times.
WE'RE DOWNRIGHT OFFENSIVE…: The Cardinals' offense led the Empire 8 in numerous categories, but perhaps the most telling is that Fisher has outscored its opponents by over seven points per game this season. The team led the Empire 8 with a .470 field goal percentage and has created second opportunities more than any other team in the conference as the Cardinals secure nearly 12 offensive rebounds per game. Fisher also takes care of the ball with just 11.5 turnovers per game. The squad's 79.8 points per game ranked fourth among all conference teams.
…BUT IN OUR DEFENSE: Offense is one thing, but what good is it if you can't stop the other team from scoring? Entering this weekend's matchup with St. Lawrence, Fisher's defense has been running like a well-oiled machine. The Cardinals ranked second in the Empire 8 in scoring defense at 72.4 points per game and have held opponents to just a .434 field goal percentage – the third-lowest in the conference. Fisher also limits its opponents' opportunities as the team led the conference and ranks among the nation's best in defensive rebounding at 30.7 rebounds per game. What that means is opposing teams typically get one shot per possession and it's not always a good one.
FOR THE RECORD: Two pretty big records fell this year in Fisher men's basketball history. Head coach
Rob Kornaker became the program's all-time winningest coach recently after passing Hall-of-Famer Bobby Wanzer. Wanzer had held the record since 1987 with 306 career wins (306-183, .626) before Kornaker passed him on January 24 in a 102-70 win over Houghton. Entering the weekend, Kornaker, who is just the third coach in program history, owns a career mark of 317-125 and a .717 winning percentage. Senior
Keegan Ryan also rewrote the record book as the forward surpassed Hall-of-Famer
Chris Sullivan for the most rebounds in program history. Ryan grabbed 10 boards in an overtime win over Hartwick on February 18 to give him 962 rebounds over his four-year career. To date, Ryan has pulled down 975 boards.
WINNING ATTITUDE: While both Tufts and St. Lawrence enter NCAA play having lost their last game, Salem State enters riding a modest two-game winning streak. Fisher, however, is one of the hottest teams in the country as the Cardinals have posted 10 straight wins and have now won 17 of their last 18 games.
FISHER AT A GLANCE: Ryan leads the Cardinals in several categories including scoring (18.6), rebounding (8.7) and field goal percentage (.599). Junior
Tyler English, who was named the Empire 8 Championship's Most Outstanding Player, scores 13.7 points, but has come on strong as of late averaging nearly 20 points per game over his last six contests.
Alex Sausville does a little bit of everything with 9.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game this season while
Jake Haight and
Ryan Henderson average 8.4 points and 8.0 points per game, respectively.
TUFTS AT A GLANCE: The Jumbos earned one of 21 at-large bids after posting a 20-6 overall record. Tufts, which enters the weekend as the No. 14 team in the latest D3hoops.com national poll, made it to the Elite 8 last season after beating Southern Vermont, Skidmore and Johnson & Wales. The Jumbos ranked third overall in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) in points per game at 83.0 while they allowed 74.2 points per game on the defensive end of the floor. Tarik Smith and Vincent Pace lead Tufts in scoring at 13.0 points per game apiece. Tom Palleschi chips in 10.0 a game while Everett Dayton and Ben Engvall combine to score nearly 18.0 points per game this season.
ST. LAWRENCE AT A GLANCE: The Saints (20-6) also earned a coveted at-large bid after falling in the semifinals of the Liberty League Championship to eventual champion, Union College. St. Lawrence led its conference in scoring and was one of the nation's most potent offenses at 85.3 points per game this season, however, the Saints ranked last in the Liberty League in scoring defense, giving up 78.7 points on average.
The team features four players that score in double figures led by Riley Naclerio's 19.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Kyle Edwards, the Liberty League's Defensive Player of the Year, adds 16.8 points per contest while Willie Zachery and Ben Crawford score 12.9 and 11.0 points, respectively.
SALEM STATE AT A GLANCE: Salem State (17-10) is no stranger to the NCAA Championship as the Vikings own a 21-24 overall record in tournament play and made the Final Four in 2000. Salem State has beaten Tufts twice in two postseason matchups, however, the two teams haven't met in championship play since 1997. The Viking led the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference in scoring this season after averaging 79.3 points per game. The team also held its opponents to a conference-low 75.1 points per game.
Salem State is led by Shaquan Murray's 15.9 points per game this season. Marcus Faison might be the team's driving force, though as he averages a double-double with 15.1 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in 27 starts. Alex Santos is also capable of scoring the ball as well at 11.8 points on average.
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