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Head coach Geitner is named district's top coach for Sweet 16ers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --  Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball guard Nick Nedwick (Irvington, NY) has become the second player in program history - first in 19 seasons -- to be selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Northeast District Team.

At left: Nick Nedwick

The 6-foot-1 inch, 185 pound  Nedwick was one of 11 All-Northeast District selections, as voted upon by the NABC coaches in the Northeast District.  He was one of five second-team selections. Six players were named to the first team and will move on to NABC All-America consideration.

Additionally honored was Eastern tenth-year head coach Bill Geitner (143-128), who was named Northeast District Coach-of-the-Year - the first such Eastern coach to receive the honor.

A four-year starter, Nedwick  led Eastern this season in scoring (17.3) for the third straight year and finished as the all-time leading scorer in the program's 72-year history  with 1,657 points  (14.4 ppg.).  He is also third all-time in steals (206) and fifth in assists (340) and fifth in three-point field goals (133). He also grabbed more than 400 rebounds in his career, totaling 407 for an average of 3.6.

In addition to garnering All-LEC first-team honors this past year for the third straight time, Nedwick was named to the LEC All-Defensive Team for the fourth straight season  (he was LEC Defensive Player-of-the-Year as both a sophomore and junior).

"Nick is very deserving of this award," noted Geitner. " He has worked extremely hard and his commitment to getting better has been contagious. He is a rare talent in that he has the ability to dominate a game on both the offensive and defensive ends."

After missing two games with an ankle sprain in late January, Nedwick later averaged 20.6 points, 3.8 rebounds 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals and shot 76.5 percent from the foul line in two LEC tournament and three NCAA tournament games. In the final game of his career, he scored a season-high 31 points, tallying the team's final 15 and 17 of its last 20 points of the season over the last four minutes this past Friday night in a 72-65 loss to eventual Final Four qualifier Cabrini College at Middlebury, VT in the opening round of the sectional tournament.

Nedwick recorded the top three and four of the top six scoring games of the season, capped by his 31-point effort in the final game of his career.  It was the second 30-plus point game of his career, trailing only his 36-point outburst  on January1 9 of his sophomore season in a 91-86 LEC home win over Keene State College.

In addition to leading the club in scoring, the team tri-captain performed the difficult feat of also topping the team in assists (3.5) and was the steal leader as well with a 1.8 average.  Nedwick was second with 31 three-pointers and first in free throws made (108) and attempted (149) and among players with at least 50 free throws made, showed a team-best 72.5 percentage. He finished 15 points shy of his second straight 500-point season, averaged 3.9 rebounds and in his final two seasons, totaled nearly 200 assists.

This year, Nedwick found double figures in all 28 games in which he appeared, In an LEC semifinal win over Keene, he poured in 27 points but made the pass of the season which set up Chris Robitaille's game-tying layup which forced a second overtime in an eventual 81-76 double overtime verdict which virtually assured the Warriors of an NCAA berth. Nedwick's additional season highs this year included eight rebounds in a one-point loss at Wesleyan University, seven assists in a 13-point home win over UMass Boston, and five steals in a 14-point triumph at the University of Southern Maine.

Nedwick broke Rich Vega's ten-year career scoring record of 1,593 points
in the final home game of his career when he sank the first of two free throws with 2:52 left in the 82-60 LEC championship game victory  over two-time defending champ Rhode Island College.

At right: Head coach Bill Geitner with (from left) associate head coach Ryan Wilde and assistant coaches Kris Johnson and Bill Roveto at this year's Sweet 16.

Nedwick becomes only the program's second player since the award was instituted in 1950 to earn NABC All-Northeast District accolades, following first-team selection Rossie Covington in 1992/93. A 6-foot-2 inch center, Covington averaged 20.2 points and 7.4 rebounds with a 56.6 field goal percentage in leading the Warriors to their only berth in the NCAA Elite 8 in 1992/93 and a final record of 21-7. That year, three of the five first-team all-district selections came from Little East institutions.

Under Geitner,  Eastern  posted its third straight 20-win season this year, finishing with a program-record 24 victories against six losses, winning an LEC regular-season record 11 games, claiming its first LEC regular-season title and its first LEC tournament championship since 1999/00. The Warriors advanced to the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 for the third time - first since 1992/93 - by defeating Medaille College and host SUNY Oswego in regional play.

This year's team success was predicated on defense, as the Warriors led the conference in scoring defense (59.7), three-point FG percentage defense (29.9), rebounding defense (26.0), and turnover margin (1.83)  and was second in FG percentage defense (40.8).. The team also led all conference teams with a 12.9 scoring margin.

Eastern won 13 straight games this year and its first seven conference contests and never lost as many as two in a row. The Warriors carried a seven-game winning streak into the sectional opener and finished the season with a record of 13-4 away from Geissler Gymnasium.

Geitner led Eastern to its first LEC regular-season title after being picked to finish in a tie for fourth in the eight-team loop. For this, he was named LEC Coach-of-the-Year for the second time in three seasons.

In the last three seasons under Geitner, Eastern has compiled an overall record of 65-26 (71.4 winning percentage) and a regular-season LEC slate of 30-12. The team's overall winning percentage of 80.0 percent this year is fourth-best in program history - the best since 1968/69 (21-4/84.0).

Against Cabrini, they rally from 16 points down to within four

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Cabrini College led from start to finish but had to withstand a furious Eastern Connecticut State University run in the final minute and eliminated the Warriors from the NCAA Division III tournament with a 72-65 victory in the Sweet 16 Friday evening at Pepin Gymnasium on the Middlebury College campus.

At right: Senior Nick Nedwick drives for two of his season-high 31 points in the final minutes Friday night.

Ranked fifth nationally and first in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region, Cabrini (29-1) won its 20th straight game and handed Eastern (24-6), ranked 21st, a season-ending defeat which snapped a seven-game winning streak.  The Cavaliers move to an Elite Eight game Saturday at 7 p.m. against unranked University of Scranton, which upset No. 4 Middlebury College, 58-55, in Friday's second semifinal, handing the Panthers their first home loss of the season.

Cabrini scored the first seven points of the game and amassed its largest lead of 16 points, 59-43, with six minutes left. Down by nine with 29 seconds left, the Warriors scored seven of the next nine to pull as close as four, 69-65, with 8.0 seconds left before  Cabrini's John Boyd swished a pair of game-clinching free throws with 7.2 seconds left.

Eastern senior guard Nick Nedwick (Irvington, NY), the program's all-time leading scorer, concluded his career by scoring Eastern's final 15 points and 17 of its last 20 on over the final four minutes. Nedwick scored those final points on a selection of drives to the basket, conventional three-point plays and three-point baskets.

Nedwick scored nearly half of Eastern's points, finishing with a season-high 31 points and a team-high five assists. He was 12-for-22 from the floor and 6-for-9 from the foul line andn also handed out five assists. Seniors forwards Jamie Kohn (Columbia) and  Hamilton Levy (Woodbury) combined for 17 rebounds, but the Warriors were outrebounded by 13.

Cabrini senior guard Cory Lemons, an All-America candidate, was held to just one field goal and two points in the first half but finished as one of the Cavaliers' four double-digit scorers in a balanced attack with 12 points, Aaron Walton-Moss, a freshman guard, came off the bench to score a team-high 15 points for Cabrini and the 6-foot-1 inch guard grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.  AJ Williams added 14 points, John Boyd had 13 points and six rebounds for the winners and Lemons contributed five assists and only one turnover in 40 minutes.

While the Warriors  tied their season low of only seven turnovers, the poor free throw shooting which has plagued Eastern all season surfaced  again as the Warriors missed 12 of 22 attempts and also went  just 5-for-21 from three-point range.

Nedwick finished his 115-game career ranked first in the program's 72-year history with 1,657 points.

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By Nick Wilcox
Sports Information Office

WATCH: Head Coach Bill Geitner Evaluates Friday's Opening-Round Sectional Opponent (0:30)

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - To provide some perspective: A total of 413 institutions were eligible for the NCAA Division III men's basketball championship in 2011/12.  After more than three months of competition, 62   were chosen to the tournament. Today, 16 remain. By Saturday night, four will be left. On March 17, one will be crowned as the 38th national titlist in the history of the championship.

At left: After celebrating their Little East Conference championship February 25, the Warriors won twice last weekend to move into this weekend's NCAA sectional tournament.

This weekend at Middlebury, Vt., the Eastern Connecticut State University (24-5) men's basketball team continues its march in the tournament, facing Cabrini College (28-1) in its third Sweet 16 appearance in program history at 5:30 p.m. at Middlebury College's Pepin Gymnasium. At 7:30,  Middlebury College (26-3) faces the University of Scranton (22-7) at 7:30 p.m.

Friday's winners move into the Elite Eight the following night at 7 p.m. at Middlebury. Saturday's survivor advances to the Final Four, to be hosted for the 17th consecutive year at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va. March 16-17.

Also hosting sectional tournaments this weekend are the College of Wooster,  Franklin & Marshall College and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  This year, there will a new national champion, as 2011 champion University of St. Thomas (MN) was eliminated by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 91-62, in a regional championship game last weekend at Whitewater.

This weekend's sectional tournament teams:

Eastern Connecticut State University
The Warriors take on the Cavaliers of Cabrini in the first meeting ever between the programs.   Eastern is fresh off victories over Medaille College, 66-51, in last Friday's regional opener and a huge double-overtime win capturing the NCAA regional against the host Lakers of SUNY Oswego, 70-69, Saturday at Max Ziel Gymnasium.

This is the Warrior's first appearance in the NCAA sectional tournament since 1992-93, when they reached the Elite 8 for the only time in program history with wins at Salem State University and a double-overtime thriller over New York University at North Dartmouth, MA .

This marks the Warriors' fourth  NCAA appearance, first since a five-point first-round loss at Springfield College. In 1991-92 they reached the Sweet 16  before losing to New Jersey City University by six points at Salisbury, MD.

Having won at least 20 games for the third straight season under tenth-year head coach Bill Geitner, Eastern has set a program record for wins in a season and bring a seven-game winning streak into Friday's game.  The team's 11 Little East Conference victories also represent a high-water mark in 26 season of LEC play. 

Eastern  started off  by winning 14 of its first 15 games and its first seven conference contests before dropping a 64-56 home conference decision to Keene State College (whicha record of 14-1 heading into a home game versus Keene State.  The Warriors have not lost since a dropping an LEC overtime heartbreaker at Western Connecticut  in a game where they led
By eight points with 2:25 in regulation.

A 65-62 win at Keene State pulled Eastern even in the conference standings in the final week of the regular season and an Eastern win and Keene State loss on the final day of the regular season gave the Warriors their first conference regular-season title.

In the conference tournament at Geissler Gym, Eastern emerged with an 81-76 double overtime win over Keene and followed the next evening by avenging an earlier 18-point loss with an 82-60 triumph over two-time defending LEC tournament champ Rhode Island College.

Eastern is 5-3 in four seasons of NCAA participation. The Warriors  have never met Scranton and have faced Middlebury only once, losing in the consolation game of the Ithaca College tournament by a point 29 years ago.

Statistical Leaders:
Points Per Game: Nick Nedwick, 16.8
Assists Per Game: Nedwick, 3.4
Rebounds Per Game: Jamie Kohn, 7.3
Field Goal Pct.: Chris Robitalle,  62.4
Three-Point Pct.: Brian Salzillo, 39.6
Free Throw Pct: Joe Ives, 85.5

Cabrini College
The national leader in winning percentage, No. 5 ranked Cabrini has not lost in the 2012 portion of its 2011/12 schedule and bring a 19-game winning streak. The Cavaliers' only loss came against Centre College, 69-67, in overtime in the final of the Centre College tournament December 30.

The Cavs are competing in the sectionals for the second straight season after winning their second straight conference and regional championship. Cabrini has qualified for the NCAA tournament ten times (three straight), with an overall record of 8-10. The Cavs were eliminated in the sectional semifinals by eventual national runner-up College of Wooster a year ago.

As a regional host last weekend, Cabrini dumped Castleton State College, 104-87, and went overtime to eliminate Hobart College, 90-88. Cabrini was eliminated last year by Wooster, 94-77, which went on to lose to St. Thomas in the national championship game.

Statistical Leaders:
Points Per Game: Cory Lemons, 17.9
Assist Per Game: Lemons, 6.6
Rebounds Per Game: Aaron Walton-Moss, 8.3
Field Goal Pct.: Aaron Walton-Moss, 64.0
3-Point Pct.: Lemons, 42.2
Free Throw Pct:  Lemons, 82.9

Middlebury College
Ranked No. 4 nationally, the Panthers play in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC),  which features three of the top eight teams in the Northeast Region. A winner of its first 18 games, Middlebury's only losses this season have come at Keene State in a nail biter  (77-76) and twice on the road by two points each time against NESCAC conference foe and former national champion Amherst College (ranked second nationally), the last time coming in the NESCAC tournament finals. Middlebury is coming off wins against Morrisville State (75-49) and Albertus Magnus (89-73) in the regionals at home, where the Panthers are 12-0. In its fourth straight NCAA appeaerance, Middlebury reached the final four last season, losing to eventual winner St Thomas (MN). The Panthers are 6-4 in NCAA play.

Statistical Leaders:
Points Per Game: Ryan Sharry, 19.0
Assist Per Game: Dylan Sinnickson, 5.3
Rebounds Per Game: Ryan Sharry, 10.6
Field Goal Pct.: Peter Lynch, 63.9
3-Point Pct.: Joey Kizel, 51.9
Free Throw Pct.: Joey Kizel, 91.0

University of  Scranton
The unranked Royals have been in the  NCAA field 24 times -- second only to  Wittenberg College. They have reached the Final Four four times and won national championships in 1976 and 1983, both time over Wittenberg by a total of four points. Scranton is 34-23 overall in NCAA play.

This year, the Royals won the Landmark Conference, beating Moravian College, 82-70,  and Juniata College, 78-70. Last year, they lost to Becker College, 80-73, in the first round of the NCAA tournament but rebounded to easily eliminate Becker in the regional final at Wayne, NJ after a 70-67 overtime victory over Messiah College in the opener.

Scranton has won 19 of its last 22 (five straight) after a 4-4 start. Four  of its seven losses have come by a total of nine points.

Statistical Leaders:
Points Per Game: Travis Farrell, 13.7
Assist Per Game: Tommy Morgan, 2.6
Rebounds Per Game: Travis Farrell, Ross Danzig 5.4 each
Field Goal Pct.: Luke Hawk, 51.3
3-Point Pct.: Matt Swaback 41.4
Free Throw Pct.: Travis Farrell, 79.3

Salzillo's three-pointer with 2.7 seconds left in double OT rescues Warriors

Sectional Tournament Info

Updated Bracket.xls

OSWEGO, N.Y. --  Eastern Connecticut State University sophomore guard Brian Salzillo (North Haven) didn't miss a shot all night, but it was his final basket -- a three-pointer -- with 2.7 seconds left in the second overtime which gave the Warriors a thrilling 70-69 double overtime victory over SUNY Oswego in the second round of the NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament Saturday night at Max Ziel Gymnasium.

At right: Brian Salzillo
 
Salzillo drilled his third three-pointer of the game from the top of the key to vault the Warriors into the NCAA Sweet 16 next weekend at Pepin Gymnasium on the Middlebury College campus. 

At 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 9, the Warriors (24-5) will face Cabrini College (28-1), which went overtime Saturday night to eliminate Hobart College, 90-88.. In the other sectional opener Friday at 7:30 p.m., host Middlebury College (26-3)  faces the University of Scranton (22-7).

All four sectional champions advance to the NCAA Division III Final Four Friday/Saturday, March 16/17 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA.
 
After giving away a five-point lead with one minute left in the first overtime, Eastern erased a three-point deficit with 31.8 seconds left in the second overtime to hand Oswego (26-4) its first loss after 17 straight wins and its only loss in 18 home games this year.
 
Oswego's Sean Michele, the nation's leading free throw shooter, missed the second of two free throws with 12.1 seconds left that kept Eastern within two points, 69-67. Eastern then went the length of the floor and got the ball in the hands of Salzillo, who swished the game-winning three-pointer from the top of the key with 2.7 seconds left. After  a timeout, Oswego quickly got the ball in the front court and got a good look from the right side, but a potential game-winning three-pointer fell short of the iron.
 
Salzillo led Eastern with 15 points, going 5-for-5 from the floor (3-for-3 from three-point range) and 2-for-2 from the line. Senior guard Nick Nedwick (Irvington, NY) and junior forward Chris Robitaille (Canton) each had 14 points and senior forward Hamilton Levy (Woodbury) added ten. Robitaille had ten rebounds and Nedwick five assists

Nedwick had nine points in the first half and tossed in a long off-balance three-pointer at the horn that gave the Warriors their largest lead of the game, 36-26 at halftime. The hosts chipped away before finally taking their first lead on three free throws by Hayden Ward with just under six minutes left in regulation. Nedwick was held scoreless in the second half before contributing three huge points on a baseline drive and free throw that put the Warriors back in front, 54-52, with 1:33 left. After Ward sank two tying free throws with 32.2 seconds left, Nedwick's potential game-winning three-point scoring bid rattled in and out of the basket and Eastern was unable to put in the offensive rebound in a scramble as regulation time ran out.

The first overtime session was a nightmare for Eastern at the free throw line and for Oswego from three-poinr range. The Warriors led by five with one minute left but clanged three free throws in the final 41 seconds that would have sealed the win. Oswego, for its part,  failed on nine straight three-pointers before breaking through  on Michele's longball (which followed two Oswego offensive rebounds that pulled the Lakers to within two 60-58, with 15 seconds left and set up Chris Gilkes' buzzer-beating layup on a pass from Michele that forced a second OT.

It marks Eastern's second double-overtime win in this year's post-season. In the Little East Conference semifinals eight days ago at Geissler Gym, the top-seeded Warriors slipped by No. 4 Keene State College, 81-76.

Eastern had  moved into Saturday final by ending Medaille College's 13-game winning streak, 66-51, in Friday's first semifinal. In Friday's second game, Oswego posted a come-from-behind 72-71 overtime win over Endicott College.

Eastern has advanced to the NCAA sectionals for the third time, first time in 19 years. In 1993, the Warriors eliminated New York University in double overtime, 78-73 before losing to Massachusetts Dartmouth in the final by 11. The previous year, the Warriors dropped their sectional opener, by six points to New Jersey City University.

They snap Medaille's 13-game win streak in NCAA opener, 66-51

OSWEGO, N.Y. --  The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team held Medaille College 25 points below its season scoring average in recording its first NCAA Division III Tournament victory in 19 years with a 66-51 victory in a first-round game Friday night at Max Ziel Gymnasium on the SUNY Oswego campus.

At right: Tyler, Hundley (25), a 6-foot-6 inch junior, took his game outside the three-point line Friday, sinking a pair of three-pointers minutes apart in the second half in the Warriors' NCAA win..

Now 12-3 away from its home court, Eastern (23-5) snaps Medaille's (25-3) 13-game  winning streak with its sixth straight victory and first NCAA Tournament victory since a 78-73 double overtime victory over New York University in the opening round of the Northeast-East Sectional Tournament March 12, 1993. The NCAA appearance is Eastern's first in 12 years.

Eastern, which extends its program record for season wins, faces host SUNY Oswego (26-3) Saturday at 7 p.m. in the regional championship game. The Lakes eliminated Endicott College, 72-71 in overtime in Friday's second semifinal. Saturday's winner advances to next weekend's sectional tournament at a site to be determined.

Eastern trailed by five early but moved into the lead for good when senior forward Hamilton Levy (Woodbury) sank a three-pointer and connected on the second of a two-shot foul moments later for a 15-14 Eastern lead.

The Warriors led by seven at halftime and moved out to its first double-digit lead (45-35) with 12 minutes left  when junior forward Tyler Hundley (Cheshire) drained the first of his two three-pointers which came just minutes apart.

The top defensive team and No. 1 team defending the three-point field goal in the Little East Conference this year, Eastern held the Mavericks 25 points below their season scoring average, 11 percentage points under their season field goal percentage of 48.7,  12 percentage points below their season three-point percentage of 39.6  and six three-pointers shy of their season average of 9.0 per game.

Eastern's bench contributed significantly to the win, with sophomore guard Brian Salzillo (North Haven) sinking three three-pointers and finishing with 11 points, senior guard Chae Philips (West Haven) adding four points and four assists, and the 6-foot-6 inch Hundley six points with his two three-pointers.

Senior guard Nick Nedwick (Irvington, NY) led a balanced Eastern offense with 15 points (4-for-8 from the floor/7-for-8 from the foul line), senior forward Jamie Kohn (Columbia) adding 12 points (4-for-6). Junior forward Chris Robitaille (Canton) went to the bench in favor of Hundley for significant minutes in the second half due to foul trouble, but finished with a game-high nine rebounds to go along with seven points. Levy finished with seven points, five rebounds and three assists.

Little East champs face Mavs in NCAA first round Friday at Oswego

WATCH: Head Coach Bill Geitner Previews the NCAA Tournament (3:59)

LIVE VIDEO            LIVE STATS

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team will face Medaille College in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Division III Tournament Friday at Max Ziel Gymnasium on the campus of SUNY Oswego in Oswego, NY.

In the first round, Eastern (22-5) faces Medaille (25-2) at 5:30 p.m. and SUNY Oswego (25-3) meets Endicott College (20-8) at 7:30 p.m. The tournament final is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. Video and live stats are expected to be available and links will be provided on the Eastern Results/Schedule page at that time.  

All four teams in the Oswego regional qualified automatically for the 62-team tournament, which is comprised of 42 automatic qualifiers and 20 at-large selections.

Eastern won its first Little East Conference tournament title in 12 years Saturday over two-time defending champion Rhode Island College. Medaille defeated Penn State-Behrend in the Allegheny Mountain College Conference (AMCC) tournament final. Oswego downed SUNY Cortland in the championship game of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) tournament, and Endicott routed Salve Regina University to claim the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) title.

From the Little East Conference, Rhode Island College and Western Connecticut State University received entrance as at-large selections.

The winners of the 16 regionals will advance to sectional  tournament play March 9-10 at sites not yet determined.

Under tenth-year head coach Bill Geitner, Eastern has won 20 games for the third straight season this year, setting a program season record with the 82-60 victory over

Rhode Island College Saturday and also winning a program-record 11 conference games
during the regular season. Earlier in the season, the Warriors won 13 straight games and bring a five-game streak into their fourth NCAA tournament.

Eastern was the top seed in the ECAC New England Division III Tournament each of the last two seasons, losing in the final both times. In their last NCAA appearance in 2000, they dropped an 80-75 first-round decision at Springfield College.

Of the four regional teams, only Oswego (14th) was ranked in the in the most recent national poll. In the final regular-season NCAA Division III regional ratings, Eastern was ranked sixth in the Northeast, and Oswego second and Medaille  fifth in the East. Endicott was not rated among the top 12 in the Northeast.

Eastern features four senior starters or key reserves in guards Chae Philips (West Haven) and Nick Nedwick (Irvington, NY) and forwards Jamie Kohn (Columbia) and Hamilton Levy (Woodbury). Nedwick, who became the program's all-time leading scorer late in the win over Rhode Island, leads the Warriors in scoring (17.0) and also averages 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists and has totaled 29 three-point field goals. Philips averages 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds off the bench, Levy 10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds and Kohn, the Little East tournament MVP, 9.9 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds. Junior forward  Chris Robitaille (Canton) is second on the team in scoring (11.3) and rebounding (6.6) and has a team-leading 62.6 shooting percentage, while sophomore guard Brian Salzillo (North Haven) has amassed a team-high 51 three-point field goals off the bench. Joining Nedwick, Kohn, Levy and Robitaille in the starting lineup has been junior point guard Joe Ives (Avon). Ives averages 4.2 points and is shooting 84.9 from the foul line.

Medaille won its first nine games and has captured its last 13 and finished with 17 wins in 18 regular-season conference games. Both of the Mavericks' losses came away from home, 75-72 in overtime against Dickinson and 70-59 against La Roche College ten days later in their only conference loss.

Five players - four of them seniors -- have started every game for Medaille, which features a balanced lineup of seven players averaging between 7.0 and 11.3 point. The Mavericks average 9.0 three-pointers per game wit a 39.6 percentage as compared to Eastern's 5.8 three-pointers per game and 35.7 percentage.

Eastern and Medaille have met once previously, with the Warriors posting a 72-44 victory at the Bahama House Classic at Daytona Beach Jan. 2, 2007.

Tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students with valid ID.  The Campus Center Box Office hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday through Friday and may be reached at (315) 312-3073.  Online tickets may be purchased at tickets.oswego.edu beginning Tuesday, February 28 at 10 a.m. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.

Senior leaders Kohn, Levy and Nedwick are honored by Little East

At left: Little East Coach-of-the-Year Bill Geitner with senior tri-captains (from left) Hamilton Levy, Nick Nedwick and Jamie Kohn.All three players were recognized by the LEC in its end-of-the-year awards program. 

Complete listiing.pdf

NO.DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Western Connecticut State University senior guard DaQuan Brooks became the most decorated men's basketball player in Little East Conference history this afternoon, when the conference office announced its 2011-2012 major award winners and All-Little East teams. Brooks is the first student-athlete to be selected as the Player of the Year in three successive seasons. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth senior center Lance Greene was named the Defensive Player of the Year, while University of Massachusetts Boston freshman guard Vinny DeLucia was chosen as the Rookie of the Year. Eastern Connecticut State University boss Bill Geitner was tabbed as the Coach of the Year by his peers, while the Warriors also earned the Team Sportsmanship Award.

In addition to the major awards program, the eight Little East men's basketball coaches honored 11 student-athletes on its all-conference teams. The All-Little East teams are comprised of six members on the top team, and five student-athletes represented on the second squad. The coaches also elected five-member All-Defensive and All-Rookie teams.

Brooks is just the first men's basketball player to earn the prestigious top player award in three consecutive seasons, surpassing seven former student-athletes that were honored twice in their careers. The senior from Atlanta, Ga. was also named the 2009 Little East Rookie of the Year. Brooks became the first men's basketball player in Colonial history to eclipse the 2,000-career point mark this season (2,195), achieving the milestone against Connecticut College on Jan. 31, 2012. The three-time All-Little East, first-team selection is currently the Western Connecticut all-time leader in assists (458), while ranking second in 3-point field goals made (271) and fourth in steals (181). Brooks also established a new standard for single-season points with 700 this season, while ranking third in assists (157).

A starter in each of his 26 appearances, Brooks is currently third in the nation in scoring (28.0 points per game) and eighth in 3-point field goals per game (3.4). He reached double digits in the scoring column in each of his 26 games, including registering at least 30 points 12 times. A prolific scorer, Brooks averaged 28.2 points per game against conference opponents, including a season-high 48 points against Eastern Connecticut on Feb. 7, 2012.

Greene is the first men's basketball player in Corsair history to be bestowed with the conference's top defensive player award since the Little East began sponsoring the trophy in 2008-09. The senior center from Dorchester, Mass. is making his debut on the All-Little East, first-team after earning second squad accolades as a sophomore. .

DeLucia is the seventh player in Beacon history to garner the conference's top rookie award and first since Amigo Paniagua was recognized in 2005. The freshman guard from Miami, Fla. also reserved his spot on the Little East All-Rookie Team as the highest vote getter among first-years.

Geitner and his three senior tri-captains -- Jamie Kohn (Columbia), Hamilton Levy (Woodbury) and Nick Nedwick (Irvington, NY) -- were all recognized during the conference's season-ending awards program. 

is making his second appearance in the past three years as the Little East's top coach, and the sixth time in program history an Eastern men's coach has been honored. The Warriors also earned the Team Sportsmanship Award for the second time in the past three years. Geitner guided Eastern  to an overall record of 22-5, marking the program's third-consecutive 20-win season. The Warriors captured the program's first Little East regular-season title with an 11-3 mark, and earned the right to host the semifinals and finals of the conference tournament at the Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium

A guard, Nedwick became only the second Eastern player in the 26-year history of the conference to be named all-conference as many as three times, joining Rich Vega. Both were named to the first team every year. On Saturday, Nedwick broke Vega's program record for career points.

A first-year starter at forward, Levy was honored for the first time when he was named to the second team.

Nedwick and Kohn were among five players picked to the All-Defensive team. Nedwick was named to the squard in each of his four years -- additionally being named Defensive Player-of-the-Year as both a sophomore and junior. Kohn, the MVP of last weekend's LEC tournament, was picked to the All-Defensive team for the second straight season as the team's starter at forward.

Eastern protected its home court advantage throughout the tournament, defeating Keene State in a dramatic double-overtime thriller and ousting two-time defending champion Rhode Island College in the finals. Geitner and his squad captured the program's first Little East tournament title in 12 years and third overall with the victory over the Anchormen. The Warriors earned the program's fourth appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament.

Formed in 1986, the Little East serves as New England's premier athletic conference for public institutions in NCAA Division III.  Featuring 19 championship sports, the Little East sponsors quality competition in every season for our student athletes.  Our eight state colleges and universities dedicate themselves to an ongoing fulfillment of the Division III mission of passion, responsibility, sportsmanship, and citizenship.           

Top-seeded Warriors pull away from RIC for first crown in 12 years

WATCH: Post-Game Interviews           WATCH: Pre-Game Interview

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball  team shot 55 percent from the floor in the second half to pull away from two-time defending tournament champion Rhode Island College, 82-60, in the Little East Conference championship game Saturday before 1,800 fans at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

In winning its first LEC tournament title in 12 years - and first under tenth-year head coach Bill Geitner -- Eastern (22-5)  broke the program record for wins which it had tied last year and qualifies automatically for the program's  fourth NCAA tournament. Rhode Island was making its sixth straight championship game appearance, having won four times.

In a re-match of last year's title game, won by Rhode Island College (22-6), Eastern fell behind by eight points in the opening minutes but never trailed after senior guard Nick Nedwick (Irvington, NY) sank a three-pointer with three minutes left in the first half after being shut out for the first 17 minutes of the game.

At mid-week, Eastern was ranked No. 6 in the NCAA Division III Northeast Region standings -- an improvment of three spots from the prior week -- while RIC was rated fourth as the top-ranked team among the four LEC schools in the top ten.The Warriors should move into the top spot among conference teams when the NCAA tournament selections are announced Monday at noon, and may receive a favorable first-round matchup and/or a first or second-round home game. First and second-round games are scheduled for this Thursday through Saturday..

Leading by two points at the half, the Warriors outscored Rhode Island 17-8 over the first seven minutes of the second half  to move out to a 51-40 lead and later built a 17-point advantage with eight minutes left.

At left: Tournament MVP Jamie Kohn secures a keepsake following the championship win.

Seven of Eastern's points in that decisive 17-8 run came on seven free throw attempts, with
Tournament Most Outstanding Player Jamie Kohn (Columbia)  and junior center Chris Robitaille (Canton) both converting conventional three-point plays.

Less than 24 hours after missing 19 of 36 free throws in an 81-76 double-overtime semifinal victory over Keene State College, the Warriors canned 28 of 35 against Rhode Island. From the stripe, Robitaille was 7-for-9, Nedwick 6-for-6, and Kohn 4-for-5.

Amidst the excitement, Nedwick became the all-time leading scorer in the 72-year history of the program. Needing 13 points to break Rich Vega's existing mark, Nedwick reached the milestone of 1,594 points when he sank the first of two free throws with 2:52 left. Nedwick, who scored nine of the team's 12 points at one point late in the game, scored all but three of his team-high 16 points in the second half and finished with 1,597 career points.

Nedwick led five double-digit scorers for Eastern, two of whom came off the bench. Robitaille and senior guard Chae Philips (West Haven) each had 15, Kohn 14 and sophomore guard Brian Salzillo (North Haven) 11. Salzillo came off the bench to sink three of Eastern's eight three-point field goals and chipped in four of Eastern's tournament total of 16

Kohn recorded his second tournament double-double by adding a team-high 13 rebounds to help the Warriors out-rebound RIC, 35-27. In the tournament, Kohn had 37 points and 24 rebounds and was 14-for-23 from the floor (60.9) with five assists. Nedwick had 43 points in the tournament with eight rebounds and was 10-for-14 from the foul line, while Philips and Robitaille both had 24 points and ten rebounds. Philips added five assists and four steals. In the tournament, Philips was 6-for-7 from three-point range after totalling only 13 during the regular season

Eastern won two of three this year against Rhode Island -- including both times at Geissler Gymnasium. Nedwick was sidelined with an ankle injury in Eastern's 66-48 setback at The Murray Center Jan. 28..

At left: Nick Nedwick is congratulated after breaking the program's 72-year-old scoring record in the LEC tournament championship game Saturday.

 Senior forward Mason Choice  led Rhode Island with a game-high 21 points (8-for-12 from the floor), while junior guard Tahrike Carter added 14 points. In the tournament, Choice had 38 points, ten assists and eight rebounds. He shot 57.9 percent from the floor and was 15-for-18 from the stripe. Senior center Mike Akinrola followed Choice in the tournament with 34 points and six rebounds. Akinrola, last year's tourney MVP, shot 57.9 from the field and converted 11 of 12 free throws.

Trailing by 11 points with 3:14 left, third-seeded Rhode Island had advanced to the final by stunning second-seeded Western Connecticut, 75-74, in Friday's semifinal.

The 20-win season is the third straight for Eastern and the team's final winning percentage will be no worse than fourth all-time in a season.

Warriors  prevail in two OTs, move into final vs. RIC again

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - In a pair of heart-stopping games, top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University and third-seeded Rhode Island College survived in the semifinal round of the 2012 Little East Conference men's basketball tournament Friday night and will meet in the final for the second straight year.

At right: Chris Robitaille beat the buzzer to force a second overtime in Friday night's semifinal win over Keene State. (Cristina Danielson photo)

For Eastern (21-5), senior guard Nick Nedwick (Irvington, NY) forced overtime with a three-point field goal with 32 seconds left in regulation, and forced a second overtime by finding junior center Chris Robitaille (Canton) in the lane for a basket at the buzzer as the Warriors edged fourth-seeded Keene State College (19-8), 81-76 in double overtime in the first semifinal before 1,200 fans at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

Rhode Island (22-5) moved into the sixth straight championship game with an improbable 75-74 triumph over second-seeded Western Connecticut State University (20-6) that it fashioned by erasing a nine-point deficit over the final 1:29 with a game-ending 12-2 spurt.

Sunday's 5 p.m. title game - with the winner qualifying automatically for next week's NCAA Division III tournament - pits last year's two finalists. Last year, Rhode Island captured its second straight title and fourth in the last five years with a 62-49 triumph over Eastern. The Warriors have won two conference tournament titles, the last one coming in 2000 over the University of Southern Maine. Eastern and RIC split a pair this year, each winning on its home court.

Eastern  ties game at end of regulation and first overtime

By missing 19 of 36 free throws, Eastern needed its late-game heroics to dump Keene, which was the only conference team in the regular season to defeat the Warriors on their home court

At left: Chae Philips (11) contains Keen's Ryan Martin in the second half of Friday's semifinal win at Geissler Gym. (Cristina Danielson photo).

In a game which featured 15 ties and 16 lead chances, Eastern overcame its poor free throw shooting by turning the ball over only 14 times (as compared to 22 for Keene) and outrebounding the taller Owls 20-8 on the offensive glass. Eastern outscored Keene 16-5 on second-chance points.

Eastern scored the final six points of the second overtime to improve its home record to 10-2. In overtime, Philips hit a three-pointer (he was 3-for-4 from "three" in the game) and the Warriors scored five points from the stripe. Robitaille's layup with 1:43 left gave Eastern the lead for good, 78-76.

The Warriors were behind by six points with two minutes left and by five with 48 seconds left in regulation but forced overtime when senior forward Jamie Kohn (Columbia) sank a jumper with 46 seconds left and Nedwick nailed a game-tying three-point field goal 14 seconds later after Rhode Island missed a free throw which would have all but sealed the win with 48 seconds left.

In the first overtime, Eastern took a three-point lead on senior guard Chae Philips' (West Haven) three-point field goal with a minute left, but Keene answered with a jumper by Rashad Wright and Ryan Martin's three-pointer that gave the Owls a 71-69 advantage with ten seconds left. On its final possession of first overtime, Nedwick was bottled up on the left side of the lane but lofted a pass to the right side to Robitaille, who caught the ball and dropped it in as the horn sounded.

Nedwick (27) and Kohn (23) combined for 50 of the team's points in the game and were the club's only double-digit scorers. Nedwick, now 13 points shy of setting a program career scoring record, had 17 points after the break, as did Kohn. Kohn led all players with 11 rebounds (eight offensive), with Robitaille scoring nine points and grabbing seven rebounds.

Martin topped Keene with 26 points (9-for-10 from the foul line) and six assists, with Anthony Mariano adding 11 points and Wright ten points and nine rebounds. Nicco DeMasco came off the  bench to grab nine rebounds.

Rhode Island Delivers Down Stretch

Western led by 11 with four minutes left and by nine with 1:29 remaining, but Rhode Island connected on its final four shots from the floor and all three of its free throws the rest of the way. Rhode Island's Mason Choice scored the tying and winning points with free throws with 8.6 seconds left. Western missed a three-point field goal as time expired.

On its final six possessions, Western missedtwo field goals and turned the ball over three times, with its only points coming on a pair of free throws by Michael Kennedy that gave the Colonials a 74-71 lead with 30 seconds left. 

Choice and Mike Akinrola combined for 27 of their team's 43 points in the second half while Western's DaQuan Brooks scored 26 of his game-high 41 points after the break.  Brooks was 10-for-11 from the foul line and finished with a game-high 12 rebounds.

Akinrola led the Anchormen with 22 points and didn't commit a turnover in 29 minutes. Choice had 17 points (11-for-12 from the line) and added seven assists and six rebounds.

The team combined to sink 40 of 47 free throws in the game.

Top-seeded in balanced field, they host LEC tourney beginning Friday

WATCH: Head coach Bill Geitner surveys the LEC tournament field (7:25).           Interview by Amanda Palmieri.

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - When the crowd files out of Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium early Saturday evening after a men's basketball champion is determined in the 26th Annual Little East Conference post-season tournament, there is one phrase that you are virtually assured of not hearing.

Above: Behind the leadership of seniors (from left) Hamilton Levy, Chae Philips, Nick Nedwick and Jamie Kohn and head coach Bill Geitner, the Warriors begin their quest for a first LEC tournament title in 12 years Friday.

With the top four seeds - all with 19 or more wins - clashing for the right to gain the automatic berth in the NCAA tournament which gets underway  next week, "I never expected  (fill in the blank) to win this tournament,"  will certainly not be resounding off the walls of Geissler Gym.

All four teams - host and top-seeded Eastern, second-seeded Western Connecticut State University, third-seeded and two-time defending champion Rhode Island College and fourth-seeded Keene State College - have many things in common. With one exception (Keene State), all have beaten each other (and lost to each other) once in the regular season. All won at least ten regular-season conference. Games. And if Keene eliminates Eastern in the first of two opening games Friday at 5:30, all will have won 20 games.

After the Eastern-Keene opener Friday, two-time conference tournament champion Rhode Island College faces Western Connecticut at 7:30 p.m. The winners move on to the tournament final Saturday at 5 p.m. at Geissler Gym. The losers, despite the semifinal exit, might very well live to play another day (in the NCAA tournament).

All three tournament games will be streamed live on LittleEast.tv. The call of the games will be provided by John Cabral of the Little East publity office, and Eastern's Nick Aconfora.Video streaming link, game re-caps, box scores and more are all available throughout the tournament at Little East Tournament Central.

For the first time in 26 years, Eastern earned the No. 1 seed by winning its first LEC regular-season title with a program-record 11 regular-season conference wins in 14 games, finishing a mere one game ahead of the other three semifinalists in what might have been the most hotly-contested of all LEC regular-season races.

At right: Current Eastern senior Jamie Kohn defends against current Keene junior Anthony Mariano in this Eastern-Keene matchup two years ago at Geissler Gym. Mariano had a team-high 29 points in that game but current Eastern senior Nick Nedwick had a career-high 36 in Eastern's 91-86 triumph.

Does that No. 1 seed make the Warriors the prohibitive tournament favorite? Not according to tenth-year Eastern head coach Bill Geitner, whose team pulled even in the conference standings on the final week of the regular season, then secured the home court advantage this past Saturday by downing Massachusetts Boston in a tougher-than-expected battle.

"Any of these four semifinalist can make a case as the favorite," observes Geitner, who has re-vitalized the program in recent years with three consecutive 20-win seasons. "Over the course of the season, all four teams have put together NCAA-type resumes. This year," adds Geitner, "the Little East is one of the best conferences in the country. All four of these teams are very, very good."

Geitner feels that, in addition to the automatic qualifier,  two LEC teams could be selected for at-large berths to this year's NCAA tournament. Which means that the possibility exists that an LEC team with 20 wins could end up on the outside looking in come selection day.
In the current NCAA Northeast Regional rankings, Rhode Island is fourth, Western fifth,

Eastern sixth and Keene State tenth. On the strength of last Tuesday's three-point riumph at Keene, the Warriors leap-frogged over the Owls in the ratings, pulled even in the conference standings, and set themselves up to earn their first conference regular-season title four days later.

While Geitner is pleased with the No. seeding, he not fooled by it. "If we lost at Keene eight days ago," points out the coach, "we're the No. 4 seed and Keene is No. 1 All four semifinalists were one possession away from winning the conference (regular season) this year."

As the team's current 20-5 ledger would attest, Eastern enjoyed success both at home and on the road this year. Away from Geissler, the Warriors were a remarkable 11-3 (with two points separating them from a possible 13-1 road mark); at Geissler they were 9-2. At home, Eastern beat every LEC opponent except one: Keene State. That contest was a 64-56 Owls' decision that was played exactly a month before Friday's semifinal ago and snapped a winning streak which ended just one shy of the program record of 14 in a row set in the early 1940s.

That loss also snapped a six-game regular-season winning streak for Eastern's three four-year seniors against Keene. Eastern and Keene have met twice previously at Geissler Gym in the LEC tournament, Eastern coming away with first-round victories both times. After winning at the buzzer over the Owls 12 years ago in the first round, Eastern pocketed a 24-point first-round victory two year ago that snapped a nine-year drought of one-and-dones in LEC openers.

Against Keene this year, Eastern has held the Owls to an average of nearly 20 points under their season scoring average, has commited eight fewer turnovers, and despite a large disparity in height, holds a +6 edge on the offensive glass. On the down side, Eastern is shooting only 37.7 percent from the floor against the Owls.

Against Keene, senior guard Nick Nedwick (Irvington, NY) has been limited to an average of four points under his team-high scoring average of 16.6 on a 27.6 shooting percentage. Junior center Chris Robitaille (Canton) has averaged a double-double with averages of 12.0 points and 12.5 rebounds. Senior forward Jamie Kohn (Columbia) averages 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds against Keene this season and is 9-for-11 from the foul line, and senior forward Hamilton Levy (Woodbury) 11 points and 4.0 rebounds. Those four starters have averaged at least 30 minutes against Keene.

The bulk of Keene's scoring this year against Eastern has come from senior forward Ollie Hunter (14.0 ppg.), junior guard Ryan Martin (12.0) and junior forward Eric Fazio (11.0). Hunter is shooting nearly 58 percent from the floor against Eastern and Fazio has converted half of his field goals. Rashad Wright, a 6-foot-10 inch junior center, averages 7.0 rebounds against the Warriors and 6-foot-8 inch sophomore center Montel Walcott has come off the bench to grabe 13 rebounds in 28 minutes. Fazio and Martin have combined to sink 11 of 12 free throws in the two-game regular-season set.