NCAA SECOND ROUND PREVIEW: SAINTS READY TO FACE SUNY NEW PALTZ
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - The Emmanuel College women's basketball team will face host SUNY New Paltz on Saturday, March 2 in Second Round action of the 2019 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball tournament at the Hawk Center. The Saints advanced to the round of 32 following a 69-65 victory over Hartwick College while the Hawks preserved their home-court advantage with a 65-36 win over Rutgers-Newark.
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - The Emmanuel College women's basketball team will face host SUNY New Paltz on Saturday, March 2 in Second Round action of the 2019 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball tournament at the Hawk Center. The Saints advanced to the round of 32 following a 69-65 victory over Hartwick College while the Hawks preserved their home-court advantage with a 65-36 win over Rutgers-Newark.
SEASON AT A GLANCE:
Emmanuel:
- The Saints enter the NCAA Tournament ranked sixth in the nation in scoring, averaging 80.4 points per game
- This year's team currently leads the nation in total assists (574) and assists per game, averaging 19.8 helpers.
- The squad entered the NCAA tourney with a 45.1% shooting percentage to top the GNAC which ranked 13th among D-III programs.
- EC led the GNAC while ranking 33rd in the country in rebounding margin, averaging a +9.0 differential throughout the season.
- The Saints are 20-0 when scoring 70+ points, 13-0 when shooting at least 45% from the field 9-0 when pulling down over 50 rebounds.
- Emmanuel is coming off a 69-65 victory over Hartwick College, erasing an early nine-point lead to come from behind for the program's 11th victory in opening round play of the NCAA tourney.
SUNY New Paltz:
- New Paltz led the CUNYAC in scoring, topping the league with a 71.1 ppg average
- The Hawks shoot at a 39.5% clip from the floor (4th in SUNYAC) but are dangerous from the charity stripe, connecting on 74.9% from the line to rank 19th in the nation.
- SUNY New Paltz ranked last in the CUNYAC in defensive field goal percentage, allowing opponents to shoot at 40.8% on the year including over 30 percent from three (30.3%).
- The Hawks rebounding margin is negative -2.9 rpg, ranking ninth out of 10 teams in the CUNYAC as opponents have outrebounded them 788-685 on the year.
- New Paltz loves the three ball, ranking sixth in D-III in made triples (258), seventh in three pointers attempted, and seventh in three point field goals per game (9.5).
- The Hawks are 1-4 on the year when combining to score less than 71 points AND shooting under 35% from the field.
- New Paltz is on a 20-game winning streak and has not dropped a decision in 2019 with their last loss coming on December 30, 2018 to Cabrini (72-61/34.8%).
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Emmanuel:
- Junior guard Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (Cambridge, Mass.) is the Saints top offensive and rebounding threat and is currently the only player in the GNAC averaging over 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game. She enters the NCAA tournament with 20 double-doubles on the year to rank third nationally. She was named to the GNAC All-Conference First Team and was named the USBWA National Player of the Week twice this year including the first and last weeks of the year.
- Senior guard Madison McLaughlin (Westerly, R.I.) has been the Saints top shooting threat all season long, connecting on an Emmanuel single-season record of 76 three-pointers which also tops all GNAC shooters and ranks 26th in the nation. She was named to the GNAC All-Conference Third Team and hit the game-winning free throws in the GNAC Championship victory over #8 Saint Joseph's (ME).
- Junior guard Kayla Weaver (West Haven, Conn.) has been EC's defensive leader all season while also averaging 12.4 points per game. Her lock down defense has helped the Saints hold GNAC opponents to an average of 60.3 ppg as she's recorded a league-high 89 steals to rank 16th nationally. Weaver was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and tabbed to the GNAC All-Conference Third Team.
SUNY New Paltz:
- Senior guard Lindsay Bettke (Pelham, N.Y.) was named the SUNYAC Player of the Year after averaging 15.1 points per game. She leads the Hawks in assists (89) and is a threat from downtown with 67 triples on the year.
- Senior guard Rachel Simon (Wallkill, N.Y.) led SUNY New Paltz in scoring while ranking second in the SUNYAC in scoring with 18.6 points per game. She's posted double-figures in all but one game this season and ranks third in the nation in three pointers made with 88 triples on the year while shooting at a 42.7% clip from downtown.
- Junior guard Marion Dietz (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) ranks third on the Hawks in scoring with 10.4 points per game while leading the squad in minutes played this year (910/32,5 mpg)
COACHES' CORNER:
Andy Yosinoff - Emmanuel
In 42nd campaign with the Saints, Yosinoff is no stranger to the NCAA tournament having led Emmanuel to the Big Dance 19 times over his career. He's compiled an incredible 832-280 (.748) record over his career and earlier this season, moved atop the NCAA record books for career victories by a Women's Basketball Head Coach at the NCAA's Division III level. On December 30, 2018, Yosinoff tallied his 816th win to move past former Scranton Head Coach Mike Strong as the NCAA's career leader for coaching wins in Division III.
Jamie Seward – SUNY New Paltz
In 13th season with the Hawks, Seward has enjoyed lots of success of late by leading the program to four NCAA tournament berths since 2013. His teams captured the SUNYAC Championship in 2013, '16, '17 and '19. Seward holds an overall career mark of 235-119 (.664) at SUNY and has been named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year twice, once in 2013 and again this year.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Tonight's meeting marks the first career contest between the two programs.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY:
Emmanuel is no stranger to the NCAA tournament making its 19th appearance in the field and the program's first trip since 2013. The Saints first appeared in the tournament back in 1986, making three consecutive trips in '86, '87 & '88 before a trip in '92, '96 and '97. After a few years away from the dance, the Saints made a comeback in style, appearing in the 2001 Final Four en route to qualifying for the field in all but one year from 2001 through 2013 ('01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13). EC is 17-19 all-time in the NCAA tournament and has posted wins 11 times in the opening round while advancing to the Sweet 16 three times ('01, '07, '12), the Elite 8 twice ('01 & '12) and the Final Four in '01.
SUNY New Paltz is dancing for the fourth time in program history. The Hawks first appeared in the dance back in 2013 when they fell in the opening round to Babson (61-45). The program made its second appearance in 2016, falling to Rowan in the opener 93-75 but returned for a strong showing in 2017 by advancing to the Sweet 16 with wins over Bowdoin and Ithaca before falling to UMass Dartmouth. The Hawks are now 3-3 all time in the tournament and boast a 1-0 record all-time in the Second Round.
TICKETS
Entrance will be admitted one hour prior to tip off with adult admission at $7.00 a ticket and $4.00 for students with I.D., children (3-12) and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the door, cash preferable.
COVERAGE
A live broadcast as well as play-by-play statistics will be available for Saturday's NCAA tournament contest. To follow the Saints live, tune in to the link below