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YORK, Pa. -- Nazareth's own version of March Madness will play out this weekend as the Golden Flyers' men's basketball team travels to Pennsylvania for the NCAA Division III Tournament,
The Golden Flyers, 20-7 and champion of the Empire 8 Conference, will be making their eighth NCAA appearance and first since 2010. Nazareth will play Hamilton (22-4) Friday at 3:30 p.m. Host York, 23-4 and champion of the Capital Athletic Conference, plays Skyline Conference champion Yeshiva (18-10) Friday at 1 p.m. The winners play Saturday with a chance to advance to the Sweet 16. If York wins, Saturday's game will start at 7 p.m. If Yeshiva wins, he game will be at 8:30 p.m.
"We're excited to be in it," said Nazareth Coach
Kevin Broderick, now in his ninth season. "We have a great group of guys to work with. They are a pleasure to coach."
Players to watch
Empire 8 Player of the Year Tyler Stenglein, a senior guard, leads the group with a 19.6 scoring average. He was MVP of the conference tournament after scoring the game-winning basket in the closing seconds of Saturday's 66-64 win over Utica in the title game. Junior forward Jake Burgio made the all-tournament team after scoring 47 points in the two tournament wins (over Alfred and Utica). A first-team all-conference selection, Burgio leads the team in rebounding (8.7 rpg.) and is second behind Stenglein in scoring (16.0 ppg.). Sophomore Cody Green is Nazareth top three-point shooting threat with 71 three-pointers and a 12.8 scoring average. Junior guard Brendan Wind was a first-team all-conference performer in 2016-17, but was hobbled early in the season with an ankle injury and missed six games. He averages 7.3 points and 4.0 assists per game.
Scouting Hamilton
The Continentals, of the New England Small College Athletic Conference, finished 22-4 overall under the direction of seventh-year head coach Adam Stockwell, who was named the league's Coach of the Year. Sophomore Kena Gilmour was a first-team all-conference selection after averaging 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Junior Peter Hoffmann was a second-team choice after averaging 14.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. Juniors Michael Grassy (12.9 ppg.) and Tim Doyle (10.5 ppg.) are other double-digit scoring threats. Hamilton posted a 7-3 record in NESCAC games, defeated Tufts in the first round of the conference tournament, then lost to Amherst, 76-73, in the tournament semifinals. The Continentals are one of four NESCAC teams to make the 64-team field, along with Middlebury, Wesleyan and Williams. Common opponents in 2017-18 were Oswego and Utica. Hamilton defeated Oswego, 75-69, Nov. 18 and Utica, 90-85, Dec. 1. Nazareth defeated Oswego, 79-69, on Nov. 28 and went 2-1 against Utica... losing, 59-56, on Jan. 26, winning, 84-76, on Jan. 30 and winning, 66-64, on Feb. 24. The Golden Flyers are 6-9 all-time vs. Hamilton, although the teams haven't met since 1993. Nazareth played York once -- in 2007 and won 99-79. The Golden Flyers have never played Yeshiva.
Nazareth in the NCAAs
Nazareth is 5-7 in NCAA Tournament play. In its last appearance in 2010, the Golden Flyers lost to Medaille in overtime, 78-72. The Golden Flyers' best showing was in 1983-84 when they defeated Buffalo State and Staten Island to win the East Regional before falling to Clark University in the national quarterfinals.