Page 12
IN THE BLEACHERS
by Stew Moore
The Collegian
Men's and women's hoops receive
ECAC bids, a first in PSB history
For the first time in Behrend
history, the men’s and women’s
basketball teams have earned
post-season bids during the same
year.
Monday, both teams were
selected to participate in the
Eastern College Athletic
Conference (ECAC) Southern
Region championships, each
grabbing number one seeds.
The Lady Lions of Coach
Jenepher Banker (21-4) were left
out of the Mid-Atlantic region of
the NCAA despite being ranked
fourth in the region.
"In the past few years, the
committee has always chosen
four teams from each region.
This year they only took three,"
commented Coach Banker.
The region is comprised of
mostly Pennsylvania, but it also
contains parts of Maryland as
well.
"There seems to be an Eastern
PA vs. Western PA struggle. It's
been going on for some time,"
continued Banker.
Thirty two teams were selected
into the NCAA, and 25 of them
were out of the same conference.
There were two other western
PA schools in the running for a
NCAA bid, but none of them
were selected,
"Why we weren't selected is a
good question. If we knew we’d
feel a lot better," said Banker.
"Someone always gets left out.
There is a lot of politics involved
in it, and I hate to blame it on
that. We're the new kids on the
block, and proving ourselves this
year will be beneficial," she
added
"The selection committee holds
your destiny, no matter what type
of year you have,” added Banker.
The ECAC bid represents the
first such opportunity for a
women's basketball team from
Behrend.
"As the season progressed, we
realized how close we were to
getting a playoff bid," said
sophomore center Anne Bonner,
"We’re really happy."
The women's team will host
Wesley College (13-13) out of
Dover, Delaware Thursday
evening in Erie Hall. Game time
is 7 p.m.
The other semi-final bracket
finds Ursinus (15-10) traveling to
Frostburg State University (MD,
21-5). The title game will be
held Saturday at the higher seed's
arena.
In men's play, the Lions of
Thursday, March 5, 1992
Fred Paulsen will be making
their second trip to the ECAC
tournament in four years. The
men's tournament will be held at
one site, at Dickinson College in
Carlisle, PA.
"It's a great accomplishment
for us,” said junior forward Scott
DeFoggi. "It was one of our
goals at the beginning of the
year."
The Lions were the number
one seed going into the Keuka
game, which turned out to be a
tough loss for the Lions.
'T still thought we'd be in it,"
added DeFoggi. "We were the
number one seed going in, and
our loss didn't drop us that far."
At Dickinson on Saturday the
Lions will play Frostburg State
(14-13). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
In the nightcap, number two seed
Dickinson (14-11) will meet
number three Allentown (14-13).
The title of the Southern Region
will be decided on Sunday,
beginning at 4 p.m.
Oddly enough, in 1989, the
last time a Lion team earned a
post-season slot, under then head
coach Doug Zimmerman, Penn
State-Behrend played Frostburg in
the opening round, losing 80-79
at the buzzer.