Women’s Basketball – Nothing But NESCAC

Do You Believe in Miracles? 2017-2018 NESCAC Top Sporting Moments

Do You Believe in Miracles? NESCAC’s Top 5 Moments so far of the 2017-18 season

I know that sometimes we get pretty focussed on the three main sports in the NESCAC, but there are so many other successful teams in our conference worth mentioning. Obviously, here at NbN, we love football, basketball, and baseball, but after seeing a tweet by @Middathletics after their Women’s Tennis team knocked off Division I playoff bound Quinnipiac University, I thought that we could give some other shout outs. I pride myself on being an unbiased writer, and there’s definitely a lot of Middlebury here, so if I forgot a player, team, coach, or great moment, DM us so I can do another article later!

1. Colby Men’s Hockey: Jack Kelley, a United States Hockey Hall of Famer, former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Redwings front offices, and collegiate and professional coach, called the Mules “a team of destiny.” He was the head coach at Boston University for 10 years and won two national championships with them and still referred in such a way about the team from Waterville after they advanced to the Frozen Four on a last second goal.

Your 2018 NESCAC Champions, the Colby College Mules

After a hard fought regular season, no hockey fanatic could’ve expected what was on the way for the Mules. Entering the NESCAC tournament as the #6 seed, they made an incredible underdog run to take the conference title for the first time in school history, capturing an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. They came back from a 4-2 deficit in their opening round game against University of New England, won on a last second goal 2-1 against SUNY Geneseo in their second round game, and then found themselves as the only unranked team in the Frozen Four. Although they ended losing to the eventual national champion, St. Norbert 4-3 in the national semifinal, they clearly had an incredible run, rivaling that of the Miracle on Ice, and even got to play at the historic rink at Lake Placid, NY.

2. Amherst Women’s Basketball: Completing a second straight undefeated season is pretty awesome. A 66 game win streak and two national championships later, and the Amherst Mammoths are still standing.

Amherst women’s basketball just wrapped up another historic season.

Who can beat them? Probably nobody. Coach Gromacki and his team are a national force to be reckoned with and are now comparable to the UConn women, maybe even surpassing them after two straight Final Four losses for the Huskies. For more information on this incredible run and awesome streak, check out Cam’s recent article.

3. Middlebury Field Hockey: I’m not even going to pretend I know a single thing about field hockey. Before I went from California to the East Coast for college, I though this sport was just cross-training for ice hockey. While that was pretty ignorant, I can still recognize the greatness of this Panthers program. They went 20-2 this season, winning their second national championship in three years. Coach DeLorenzo really knows how to coach and got her women two rings in the same season. Unlike the 2015 national championship Panthers, this team won both the NESCAC and the NCAA tournaments, basically completing their perfect season. After two straight NESCAC finals losses to Bowdoin and Tufts, their seniors are really able to ride off high. Also, it is safe to say that the NESCAC is by far the best field hockey conference in the nation (just like women’s and men’s basketball, women’s and men’s lacrosse, women’s and men’s tennis while hockey and soccer are up there too).

4. Willaims Women’s Soccer: The Ephs collected their second national championship in three years by beating UNC Greensboro 1-0 on December 2nd, 2017. They were led all season by Dani Sim, both the NESCAC POY and the United Soccer Coaches DIII Player of the Year. Sim was the first defender ever to win the NESCAC POY, showing how dominant their team was all season. They had the NESCAC’s leading goal scorer in Sophomore Alison Lu and also the best back line—basically making scoring easy and scoring on them impossible. GK Olivia Barnhill was even named to Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” section for her performance in the 1-0 shutout of Chicago to take the National Crown.

The celebration after ending the season with a win.

As a result, their season record was 21-1-1 which is just ridiculous. What’s more is that just four of their starters were seniors and they have plenty of depth to back it up, so look for them to continue this kind of purple reign.

5. Shams Mohajerani:

Shams Mohajerani ’20

Earlier this year, Middlebury soccer’s own Shams Mohajerani was #3 on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 for the night of September 6th, 2017. As you can see, this is a super D3 highlight tape as it was shot on a janky camera at a soccer game played on a football field. But, hey, it made the SC Top 10 and deservedly so. Shams gets around the defender and has a look from 30 yards out and fires a top corner hooking shot. David Beckham couldn’t have done it better himself. Not even in this video.

Purple Reign; Women’s Basketball Season Wrap Up

Women’s Basketball Wrap-Up: Purple Reign

Although this is coming a bit late, it’s time to wrap up the women’s basketball season. It was a huge year for the NESCAC, as three of the teams in the Elite Eight were Tufts, Bowdoin, and Amherst. We like to talk often about how NESCAC men’s basketball is so dominant compared to other conferences, but this type of dominance is remarkable. To add onto this, none of those three teams lost to a non-NESCAC school in the NCAA tournament – Tufts lost to Bowdoin in the Elite Eight and Amherst beat Bowdoin in the national championship. This type of success is noteworthy, but this article will focus solely on the team at the top: the Amherst College Mammoths.

The Mammoths have been doing a lot of net cutting these past two seasons during their 66 game winning streak.

Much to the chagrin of all 10 other NESCAC schools, the Amherst women’s basketball team won their second consecutive national championship this year. Actually let me correct myself: the Amherst women’s basketball team just completed their second straight undefeated season, culminating in a second straight national championship. The Mammoths have won 66 consecutive games dating back to November of 2016; so long ago that they weren’t even called the Mammoths yet. They haven’t lost since the Final Four in 2016 when gas only cost $2 per gallon, Obama was president, and Kobe Bryant was playing his last season with the Lakers. I guess you could say a lot has changed.

11 years into his tenure, Coach Gromacki has turned this program into a dynasty. As we all know, Amherst is good at most (if not all) sports, so this success isn’t too surprising – until you take a closer look. The Mammoths have reached at least the Sweet Sixteen every season under Gromacki, amassing a 33-11 postseason record including 3 national championships. The last two seasons, however, have been even more jaw dropping. Just 11 of their 66 straight wins have been by fewer than 10 points, with only 2 of those coming in NCAA tournament games. This means that not only are they demolishing their regular season opponents, but they’re also elevating their play when it really counts. Take this season for example: Amherst defeated Bowdoin by just 4 points at home in January, then proceeded to crush the Polar Bears by 20 in the national championship. This is a team that flat out knows how to win.

Coach Gromacki can put himself in the same conversation as UConn Women’s Coach Auriemma.

You’d think that a two-year span of success like this came from a large amount of talented upperclassmen, but the Mammoths’ 3 best players are sophomores Hannah Fox ’20 and Madeline Eck ’20, and junior Emma McCarthy ’19. They only had 3 seniors on their roster and only two of them played meaningful minutes. This is scary for opponents who want an end to the reign of the purple because it looks like Amherst is here to stay. Success like this doesn’t come without a bull’s eye on their back, and teams like Bowdoin and Tufts are right there ready to pounce when they slip up. Fortunately for Amherst fans, having Coach Gromacki at the helm makes them the nation’s premier team year in and year out.

It looks like this dynastic run might not even be close to ending…

(All photos courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

A Terrific Trio: NESCAC Women’s Basketball Sweet Sixteen Preview

All three NESCAC women’s basketball teams crushed their opponents in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Amherst beat Becker by a score of 61-12 in the first round, an absolute slaughter. The going will inevitably get tougher as the teams keep advancing. Here’s a preview of the third round of the NCAA tournament:

#1 Amherst (27-0, 13-0) vs #22 Montclair State (23-3, 15-2)

Amherst’s victory over Becker was possibly the most decisive victory in NCAA history. Unfortunately, such a one-sided contest isn’t exactly a fan’s dream. Amherst’s offense has always been very solid, but its defense has proved why Amherst is the best team in the country. Becker was limited to 10% shooting, thirty turnovers, and zero second chance points. Strong defensive rebounding is one of the key characteristics of championship team. As opponents become stronger and stronger as new rounds come, limiting second chance points is crucial. Amherst has shown its strength of rebounding. They followed up that performance with only a six point win over St. Joseph’s of Maine. Amherst didn’t have a good day shooting the ball (34.6%), but they almost doubled St. Joe’s in second chance points.

Amherst proved they could grind out a win against St Joes, an important skill for a National Championship contender

Montclair State is a solid team. The contest will be close if they play Amherst like St. Joe’s. St. Joe’s made Amherst feel incredibly uncomfortable on the offensive end. However, if Amherst can keep rebounding efficiently, I don’t see how Montclair can beat them. Hannah Fox recorded a double double against St. Joe’s (18pts, 11rbs). She will need to play at that level or higher if Amherst wants to stay dominate.

Amherst: 62-51

#8 Tufts (25-4, 10-3) vs #15 Messiah (27-2, 15-1)

Tufts should have all the confidence in the world going into this game. They won decisively in each of their last two contests (Westfield State and Ithaca). As I said in an early season article, Melissa Baptista ’18 is the x factor for the Jumbos. If she plays well, they will be dominant. If her inside presence isn’t felt, however, Tufts will struggle to shoot above 40%. Against Ithaca, Baptista was dominant inside. She scored nineteen points. Her physicality and tenacity were too much for Itaca.

Melissa Baptista ’18 is Tufts’ key to a championship dream.

Tufts vs Messiah should be an interesting match up. Messiah is 27-2. Even though they don’t compete in the ultra-competitive NESCAC, their wins so far in the tournament all have been with a ten point or greater margin of victory. Tufts shouldn’t take them lightly. However, it’s incredibly hard to compare these two teams because they’ve played such different opponents so far. A 29-2 record is obviously an enormous accomplishment no matter what conference it occurred in. However, the NESCAC is such a strong conference that it’s almost impossible to pick against them in a game like this.

Look for coaching to play a major role in these final few rounds of the tournament. Jumbo coach Carla Berube has seen it all. A former player under Geno at the most dominant sports program in histrory, UConn, and now a successful coach in her own right. Tufts has battled the highs and lows all year. They lost decisively to Bowdoin early, and I thought the NESCAC would be a two team race to the finish—with Tufts being excluded. Anything can happen in these playoff games, but a good coach can make all the difference.

Tufts: 55-49

#5 Bowdoin (26-2, 10-2) vs # 10 Scranton (26-1, 13-1)

Out of all three games this weekend, I believe that this game will be the toughest for a NESCAC team. Bowdoin put up ninety-four points against Husson and seventy-nine against FDU. Bowdoin’s offensive potency is still nothing to be joked about. Scranton is a different animal than the first two opponents they’ve played thus far. Scranton is 28-1 on the season; they’re not afraid of Bowdoin. Again, Scranton doesn’t play any NESCAC schools, so Bowdoin has a strength of schedule advantage, but Scranton’s success this season is very impressive.

Bowdoin’s offense is their strength, but it could ultimately be their biggest weakness. This is because if they’re offense isn’t clicking, they may be unable to makeup for their usual output. The two losses that Bowdoin suffered this season were against Amherst and Tufts. Both teams understood that the key to Bowdoin’s success is its offense. When Bowdoin shoots lights out, the other team has to play from behind and on its heels. In those two losses, Bowdoin scored significantly under its average, and shot inefficiently from the field. Anything can happen in a playoff game. Some players can get really hot, while others are flat out cold. If Bowdoin has a cold shooting night like it did against Amherst and Tufts, Scranton could pull off the upset. Limiting Kate Kerrigan has to be a point of attention if Scranton has a shot at winning. She’s dominate both inside and out—posting a double-double in the playoff game against FDU. If Scranton can stop Kerrigan, however, look for Scranton to pull off the upset.

Kate Kerrigan ’18 is the most dominant single force left in the tournament, winning both POY and DPOY this year.

In the teams remaining, there are only two who can stop Kerrigan: Amherst and Tufts.

Bowdoin 75-63

Time to Take Care of Business: Women’s Basketball NCAA First Round Preview

Surprise, surprise. Amherst won the NESCAC for the second year in a row. Tufts knocked off potent Bowdoin to meet Amherst in the finals. Tufts lost to Amherst only by four points, which is actually an incredible feat. Earlier in the season, Amherst steamrolled them. Like I said in previous articles, Tufts knows how to play Amherst. The results haven’t gone Tufts’ way, but they always play a tough game every time they match up with Amherst. Amherst received the automatic bid by clinching the NESCAC crown, and Bowdoin and Tufts obtained at-large bids. Here’s a preview of the NCAA DIII first round match ups:

Westfield State vs Tufts

This shouldn’t be a tough game for the Jumbos. The ‘Bos have a far superior record and a significantly harder schedule than Westfield State. Tufts, however, has to avoid to tendency to overlook Westfield. Obviously they’re coming off an impressive weekend with an upset win over Bowdoin followed up by a nearly historic victory over Amherst. Junior guard Jac Knapp still is the core for the Jumbos. Her offensive statistics don’t jump off the paper, but she is logs by far the most minutes of any Jumbo. Her time on the floor is probably one of the highest in the country (33.6 min/g). This statistic represents a couple interesting aspects to it. First, her coach trusts her so much that she’s willing to play her at a rate that’s unprecedented. Coach wants her to be out there at all critical moments. She trusts that the offense and defense will always be executed by Knapp.

Jac Knapp ’20 does a little bit of everything for the Jumbos.

The defining statistic that in this game for me is the strength of schedule. Like I said in previous articles, NESCAC schools play a significantly harder schedule than non-NESCAC schools. It’s not that they play many more games, but that their opponents on a weekly basis are far stronger. Westfield lost to both Wesleyan and Trinity by double digits earlier in the season. Wesleyan and Trinity aren’t even in the tournament. This won’t be a rollover win for the ‘Bos, but Westfield shouldn’t pose much of a threat.

Tufts: 60-45

Becker vs Amherst

Cam Hendricks ’20 is a dangerous outside shooter, giving the Mammoths yet another weapon.

This game should be even easier for Amherst than Tufts’ game against Westfield. Amherst is all confidence as a result of this past weekend. Even though they only defeated Tufts in the championship by four points, I think it was really beneficial for Amherst to play a close game. Obviously the NESCAC crown is important, but for teams like Amherst, a national championship always outweighs a NESCAC championship. Amherst will likely have to play a close game in the coming weeks, so the mental toughness they showed to grind out a win against Tufts illustrates that they can do much more than blowout teams. Staying consistent with the minutes theme, sophomore G/F Cam Hendricks is logging the most minutes for Amherst. While she certainly doesn’t score at a proficiency like Hannah Fox or Madeline Eck, her coach trusts her out on the floor; her coach believes that she’s a difference maker. As a fan, I’m very curious to see how Hendricks is used down the stretch in critical games. Her coach put faith in her in the NESCAC playoffs and regular season, so I don’t see why anything would change. For the record, Becker lost to Colby–merely a mediocre NESCAC team— by THIRTY-SIX points in the regular season. They don’t have a chance.

Amherst: 70-28

Husson vs Bowdoin

Out of all the games involving NESCAC teams this weekend, this game is the only one that I could see being remotely close. I’m not going to even give credit to Husson here. Bowdoin has to be mentally down on themselves. They blew an opportunity to beat Amherst. They thought they could simply push over Tufts like they did earlier in the season. Bowdoin, however, got smacked by the Jumbos–losing by twelve points. The Polar Bears were held to forty-eight points, which is some of their lowest scoring all season. I could have seen Bowdoin beating Amherst in the NESCAC championship because they played them tight earlier in the year. If Bowdoin wants to be serious contenders again, they must blow out Husson. They need to repossess their offensive swagger. That starts with senior guard Kate Kerrigan. She has been the ignitor all year for the Polar Bears, and was just named Player of the Year AND Defensive Player of the Year in the NESCAC. She’s a senior team leader, and must convey to the rest of their team that they can’t take any opponent lightly the rest of the way. For if they do, they will never get a date with destiny. Husson lost to Bates during the regular season by over ten points. THEY LOST TO BATES, the worst team in the ‘Cac. I’m not doubting Bowdoin here, but they must not doubt themselves either.

Kate Kerrigan ’18 is the most dangerous player in the league, and is the key to Bowdoin’s title chances.

Bowdoin 75-40

The Final Four: Women’s Basketball Semifinal Preview

And then there were four. The final four for NESCAC women’s basketball is set. The usual suspects are present: Amherst, Bowdoin, Tufts, and Wesleyan. Last weekend’s match ups produced blowouts, so many of the games weren’t really entertaining. This week should be different. Let’s look at the preview:

Wesleyan (17-7, 5-5, 5th Seed) vs Amherst (25-0, 10-0 #1 Seed), Amherst, MA, 1PM

Maddie Bledsoe ’18 (courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Wesleyan pulled off an upset win over Middlebury last weekend. The Cards rolled up to Vermont, and stole the show. As always, Maddie Bledsoe stole the show. She recorded a monster double-double (22 pts, 11 rebs), and carried the team like she has all year long. A point of concern, however, is that Wesleyan’s bench only contributed two points the entire afternoon. That abysmal statistic will not fly if the Cards want to know off Amherst. Amherst, of course, comes into Saturday afternoon undefeated. They’re always one of the best teams in the country year in and year out. Hannah Fox led all scorers in the game against Trinity last weekend with 17 points along with five steals. Similar to Wesleyan, Amherst only posted three bench points, but dominated the paint. These two teams are a good match for each other, because they both focus a lot of attention on the paint.

This game is going to be closer than people think. This Amherst team is unbeaten, yes, but they are not unbeatable. Their bench can be shaky, as I mentioned above, and this matchup could be tough for them because Wesleyan has the size and athleticism to handle the Mammoths in the paint. The playoffs implications create an opportunity for the underdog to rise up. So, with all that said, I’m gonna pick the huge upset.

Score prediction: Wesleyan 60-58

(Editor’s Note: Absolutely no chance, but we love Andrew’s enthusiasm.)

Tufts (22-3, 8-2 #3 Seed) vs Bowdoin (24-1, 9-1 #2 Seed) Amherst, MA, 3PM

This game is going to be one of the best games all season. Bowdoin already smack Tufts, but that was in January. Playoff basketball is different than regular season games. The intensity is up. Bowdoin absolutely throttled Williams last weekend. Kate Kerrigan led the scoring with 16 points, and Abby Kelly dished out five assists. Bowdoin dominated the inside game—much of their 77 points came from inside the paint. Bowdoin’s depth was on display too with 36 bench points. Tufts, on the other hand, smacked Conn College. The Jumbo defense was on full display—only allow the Camels to shoot 34% from the field. The Bo’s also forced seventeen Camel turnovers, and converted them into points. As always, Melissa Baptista was a force inside. She notched 21 points in the decisive victory. Both of these teams are high scoring; however, Bowdoin has proved that they’re special this year.

Kate Kerrigan ’18 will be looking to lead Bowdoin to another win over Tufts.

Score prediction: Bowdoin: 75-70

A Whole New Season: Women’s Basketball Quarterfinals Preview

The playoffs are here! As everyone anticipated prior to the season, Amherst is the top seed. However, a game always starts at 0-0, and the playoffs are no different. Anybody can win. Let’s look briefly at this weekend’s quarterfinal matchups.

1). #8 Trinity vs #1 Amherst

Courtney Erickson ’19 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)

It is hard for me to pick Trinity in this matchup. Everything favors Amherst. Amherst is undefeated; Amherst is at home; Amherst is the number one team in the country. Don’t sleep on Bantams junior forward Courtney Erickson. She leads the Bantams in points, and has logged a ton of minutes for the team. Furthermore, she’s an incredibly efficient scoring–shooting above fifty percent from the field. Amherst, however, has an arsenal of weapons. Sophomore guard Madeline Eck has shown that she is held and shoulders that she’s the best player on the court. She’s one of the leaders in points, and facilitates the offense well.

Prediction: Amherst 60-45

2). #7 Williams vs #2 Bowdoin

Abby Kelly ’19
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)

Bowdoin really bounced back after a tough loss to Amherst midway through the season. The Polar Bears were one of the only teams this season to give the Mammoths a real challenge, as their high powered offense almost broke down Amherst’s defense. Bowdoin obviously turned the page without losing another game. Bowdoin averages an almost 82 points per game. That number is incredible in college basketball. Their high octane attack is led by Junior guard Abby Kelly, who comes off the bench but is as good a scorer as there is in the league. Williams, on the other hand, will pose a serious threat. The team is led by senior forward Kristin Fechtelkotter. She is the main component of the offense, and hopes this won’t be her lsat game. Don’t sleep on Williams, but I’m picking Bowdoin in the hopes that they’ll meet Amherst in a classic final.

Prediction: Bowdoin 75-68

3). #6 Connecticut College vs #3 Tufts

The ‘Bos have had a rocky conference season by their standards. Losses to top teams Bowdoin and Amherst didn’t feel great, but nonetheless, they’re here again in the playoffs. Anything can happen. They’re second in the conference behind Bowdoin in points, so I’m sure they’ll put up the numbers this weekend. Conn College, on the other hand, is the wildcard in this scenario. They’re not as seasoned as the top three teams, but that could be a good thing because they’re not intimidated. They score a lot of points, third in the ‘Cac’, and will provide an offensive show. I believe it’s destiny that Tufts will end up in the top three, though.

Prediction: Tufts 60-52

Tufts’ Melissa Baptista ’18 has a solid POY case, and will lead the Jumbos into the tournament.

4). #4 Middlebury vs #5 Wesleyan

“He’s such a homer! He’s such a homer!” Get over it. I’m going with the Cards here. You know why? Because I watch sports to have fun, and enjoy it. Do I think Midd is the better team? Yes? But what’s the fun in picking the enemy over your own team. I’m rolling with Wes on this one because I believe senior forward Maddie Bledsoe will dominate the paint, and control the time of possession. I don’t care that Wes has to travel to the sticks in granola country. Go Wes. (Editor’s Note: Go Panthers.)

Prediction: Wesleyan 55-51

Someone’s Gotta Lose: Women’s Basketball Game of the Week Preview

#3 Bowdoin vs #1 Amherst: 1/27, 3 PM, Amherst, MA

The Bowdoin Polar Bears will be traveling to Amherst, Massachusetts, to square off in a battle of unbeatens. After Saturday, there will likely be only one unbeaten team left in the conference. Amherst has been the top team in the league for a while, and Bowdoin attempts to dethrone them of that title. Here is a preview of the game of the week starting with a breakdown of each team, a coaching comparison, key players comparison, a final word, and my prediction:

#3 Bowdoin (18-0 overall, 4-0 conference):

General Statistics:

Bowdoin has the most potent offense in the league averaging 86 ppg, 20 apg, 40% 3pt, and 48% from the field. They haven’t played a very strong schedule relative to Amherst. Bowdoin elected to stay local during winter break, while Amherst traveled across the country to face top talent. Bowdoin currently ranks #3 in the country, and could jump to #1 if they can pull out the victory.

Offensive Breakdown:

Bowdoin has a wealth of scoring in which no one player dominates like Bates’ Davenport. Instead, the top scorer (Abby Kelly ’19) doesn’t even break fifteen points per game. Kelly, along with Kate Kerrigan ’18 (more on her below) each average double figures, and Bowdoin has four more players averaging over seven points per game. This will put pressure on Amherst’s defense because limiting one player’s offense won’t ensure a victory. The assists and three point percentage convey Bowdoin’s strong offensive playmakers and a diversity of assets.

Abby Kelly ’19 is Bowdoin’s leading scorer, and one of the more efficient outside shooters in the league.

Defensive Breakdown:

Even though Bowdoin has been known for its offense this year, a strong case for Bowdoin’s success originates from its defensive play. The Polar Bears only allow 46 ppg and 32% from the field. However, these numbers can be skewed due to weaker opponents. The only major challenge was Tufts in early January, and Bowdoin dominated the ‘Bos on both ends of the floor— beating them by twelve.

#1 Amherst (18-0 overall, 4-0 conference):

General statistics:

Amherst brings a strong offense, but not nearly as prolific as Bowdoin. Amherst averages 65 ppg, 14 apg, 34% 3pt, 43% from the field. Take the difference in statistics with a grain of salt because of the strength of schedule difference. Amherst traveled to Nevada and California to compete against better talent than Bowdoin. In addition, Amherst is ranked #1 in the country. The only close game for the squad was a nine point win over archrival Williams.

Offensive breakdown:

Like Bowdoin, there’s no unbelievable scorer that can take over the game. There are several scorers who average over 10 ppg (Madeline Eck ’20 and Hannah Fox ’20) that provide consistent offense. This bodes well for Amherst because there’s no one scorer who can be shut down; the scoring well won’t dry up. I think that Amherst’s offense will be their best defense in defending Bowdoin. That is, Amherst will want to control the time of possession. They won’t take many quick threes in transition, and will set up their halfcourt offense looking for buckets inside the arc. This ball control will slow down Bowdoin, and possibly get them out of their comfort zone.

Defensive Breakdown:

Defense wins championships, and Amherst’s defense has gotten them two. They only allow 39 ppg with 28% shooting. Those are incredibly low numbers. How do they do it? Fundamentals. Amherst has an uncanny ability to make the opposing offense take bad shots. This comes from limiting second chance opportunities, and closing out hard on shooters. Amherst is certainly athletic, but they win because of disciplined fundamentals and technique.

Amherst is the most dominant defense in the country, and has won 51 games in a row because of it.

Coaching Comparison:

There’s no doubt that both coaches are up for NESCAC coach of the year. The influence these coaches bring to their respective programs cannot be understated. College kids can get demotivated during the late days of December and early January. Non-winter athletes aren’t on campus, and first semester has concluded. Since basketball has a heavy game schedule, one would think that a bad game for one of these programs could occur. Especially because Amherst is #1, and Bowdoin is #3, they have bullseyes on their backs. G.P. Gromacki of Amherst and Adrienne Shibles of Bowdoin have guided their teams to perfect seasons so far. Gromacki is a two time national champion at Amherst— compiling an unheard of 313-24 record. Shibles’ career at Bowdoin has been stellar as well. Shibles has a 212-60 record at Bowdoin. Bowdoin has always put a good squad on the court, but Shibles has brought it to a new level. The Saturday game will provide a challenge for both teams, since they play another important conference game on Friday. I’m sure that strong coaches like Shibles and Gromacki will stress the importance of the Friday games. In so many sports there are instances in which the favored team loses to the underdog due to looking too far forward. The Pittsburgh Steelers provided an example to us this season of how a very good team can lose. The Bowdoin vs Amherst game will inevitably be close, so coaching will be the difference maker. Gromacki has obviously be there before, but Shibles doesn’t lack any experience either.

Player Comparison: Madeline Eck (Amherst) vs Kate Kerrigan (Bowdoin)

Madeline Eck ’20 (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

In sports, trying to play to the opponent’s weakness can be detrimental. Teams should always go with their strengths (aka my best against your best). I know teams love to exploit matchups, but at the end of the day, it’s your best player taking the final shot no matter who’s guarding him or her. Enter Madeline Eck ’20 and Kate Kerrigan ’18. I keep referencing Nina Davenport from Bates because she’s such an outstanding scorer, but Eck and Kerrigan are equally as vital to their team as Davenport is even though they don’t put up those insane numbers. Both Eck and Kerrigan put over ten points a game, but most importantly, they dominate areas besides scoring. Kerrigan has two Defensive Player of the Year awards under her belt already, and could add an overall POY trophy this year if she keeps this up. She averages nearly five assists per game, top

Kate Kerrigan ’18 (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)

s in the league, and shoots almost 40% from three and 56% overall from the field. And Eck has raised her game in the big moments, averaging nearly 17 points per game in NESCAC play. She can be a dominant defender as well, averaging 1.2 steals per game. Coach Gromacki and Coach Shibles trust that their respective players will make the play with the ball in their hands. A stat that stands out to me is that both players rebound the ball very well for guards. The ability to play great defense, and finish the defensive play by snatching the rebound is crucial. This matchup of guards is one to look forward to.

Final Words:

Bowdoin hasn’t been in a close game yet, winning all of their games by at least ten points (by the way, an absolutely absurd stat.) However, this level of dominance could hurt them in playing against a really good team like Amherst. Like Bill Belichick says, ‘sixty minutes.’ Bowdoin needs to play a full game in order to beat Amherst. If Bowdoin wants to be the best, they have to beat the best. Amherst has proven that they’re the best, so it’s up to Bowdoin to dethrone them.

Prediction:

The game will be tight. It’s a very good defense matched up with an incredibly potent offense. I’m not sure if Bowdoin will be able to put up the points they normally do against a tough defense like Amherst. However, Bowdoin has been proving doubters wrong all year. I’m taking Bowdoin over Amherst this year because I believe it’s their year to make a serious bid at a national championship.

Score Prediction: 68-64 Bowdoin

Hot Seat/Cool Throne: Women’s Basketball 1/12

Hot Seat:

1). Non-League Games: I remember every high school baseball season we would play a few 4:45 non-league games against a teams that weren’t in our league, so they basically had nothing to lose. To this day I question why we would play these games; the 4:45 start time was later than most of our games were, and we would start pitchers who could barely touch seventy-five in order to save our best for the league games. I know coaches schedule these games for more competition, but the talent gap is normally large in either direction. Amherst defeated Lehman College on Saturday by a score of 79-26. Why schedule this game? For Amherst, the only gain is giving bench players some time against some sub par competition (I apologize for possibly offending any Lehman College alumni). However, Amherst’s starters are so good that the best competition for the bench players stems from scrimmages against starters in practice. It just seems like a complete waste of time to play a game that yielded a fifty-three point differential. I know there’s a need for non-league games, but there has to be a smaller talent gap in these contests because it doesn’t seem like anything’s being accomplished with such blowouts. Amherst versus Lehman is only one of the many examples of non-league demolitions this season.

2). League Competition: The impending arrival of NESCAC games brought excitement to me, and the entire sports community. I expected close games with juggernauts such Tufts, Bowdoin, and Amherst. I was wrong. The first weekend provided less than stellar competition. There was only one game with a five point or fewer score differential. Williams versus Wesleyan finished 69-64 in the Ephs’ favor. I have two confessions here: first, I wrote in power rankings last week that Williams wasn’t playing very well. To my credit, they weren’t. Like I wrote, when the going gets tough, Williams always pulls through; it’s inevitable. Williams’ bench dominated Wesleyan’s—outscoring them 20-6. Championship teams have great benches, and Williams has proven that they’re here for the long haul. My second confession is I thought once NESCAC games began, we’d see more nail-biters. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet, but hopefully we will this weekend (Game of the Week will appear later in the article).

3). Road Teams: The road teams during the kickoff weekend for NESCAC women’s basketball posted a stellar 2-8 record. The average fan might wonder why this is the case. It’s not like teams are playing against the Seahawks’ 12th man, or facing the diehard, rabid Tampa Bay Rays fan base (please note my sarcasm). But as any high school or college athlete understands that playing on the road affects his or her routine. The bus ride has an effect; the visitors’ locker room feels different; the playing condition inevitably is alien. The two road victors were Connecticut College over Williams and Tufts over Colby. The Tufts’ win shouldn’t surprise anyone. The Jumbos shot 45% to Colby’s 28%. Jac Knapp, who shot 100% from the field, set the tone capitalizing off of Mule turnovers. The squad scored twenty-two points from Colby turnovers. Conn’s victory over Williams is more of a shocker. I think Conn could be poised to make a playoff run with a conference record of 1-1, and should be in the mix for the long haul because of its mental toughness from winning in enemy territory.

Conn College pulled out a very impressive road win last weekend, knocking off Trinity 74-63.

Cool Throne:

1). Must-Wins This Early in the Season (Game of the Week): Williams at Tufts should be an intriguing matchup this weekend. Williams really has nothing to lose in this one. They’re traveling to face a favored Tufts team. I don’t think many people expect Williams to win especially on the road. Tufts, on the other hand, symbolically can’t afford to lose this game. Coming off a beat down at the hands of the Bowdoin Polar Bears, the Jumbos come into this weekend with a 1-1 conference record. What has to concern Tufts head coach Carla Berube is the lack of points scored in the paint. Bowdoin outscored Tufts 32-16 in the paint, which shows that Tufts needs to get better at driving to the basket, and converting high percentage shots. A loss this weekend— causing the Jumbos to move to 1-2 in the conference— would lengthen the gap between the second and third seed in the conference. Tufts plays Middlebury the following day, so the ‘Bos have a lot to prove going into this weekend.

Coach Berube should be able to use her experience at UCONN under Geno himself to keep Tufts dominant. Click this image for a link to a great ESPN article on the connection.

2). Bowdoin’s Clutch Gene: Bowdoin dominated the entire second half against Tufts last weekend. The first half was close, but Bowdoin really pulled away in the second. I wrote last week that Bowdoin strives to break into the upper tier of the league with Tufts and Amherst. The second half of the game proved to me that Bowdoin has the clutch gene. I don’t know in years past if Bowdoin could’ve put Tufts away in the second half. Just mentally facing squads like Tufts and Amherst is daunting, but Bowdoin proved they can not only compete, but win at the highest level. They’re now the team that has the NBC Sunday Night Football time slot; they’re primetime. Bowdoin will visit Amherst on January 27th. Bowdoin’s insane eighty-six points per game is obviously an impressive stat (more points are generally better in basketball) but it also raises a red flag for me. Bowdoin is used to playing fast, so if Amherst slows the game down and controls the tempo, Bowdoin will have a lot of trouble adjusting. There’s a lot of time between now and the 27th, however, so we’ll see if Bowdoin and Amherst remain undefeated in the league.

Flamin’ Hot Takes: Women’s Basketball Weekend One Review

NESCAC women’s basketball kicked off its 2017-2018 campaign with a great set of games last weekend. In preparation for conference games that will start up in the next couple of weeks, each team played non-conference opponents. Here are my hot takes:

Hot Take 1: Amherst and Tufts will be really good

Melissa Baptista ’18 (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

If you were reading my women’s soccer articles in the fall, you witnessed how many times I picked the underdog to defeat Williams, who is now in the Final Four. Each time I picked the opponent, Williams proved me wrong. I feel like Amherst and Tufts are the basketball versions of Williams. They’ve both ended up at the top of the league many of the previous seasons. They’re similar to the Spurs and Patriots: they’re consistently very good without much flash. Amherst has lost Ali Doswell ‘17, who was nominated for the DIII player of the year for the 2016-2017 season, and was an All-American. Doswell’s 13.2 PPG and stellar three-point percentage will be missed. Amherst, per usual, will utilize the ‘next person up’ mentality. Don’t get me wrong, Doswell’s loss will be felt, but with two convincing non league wins, I think Amherst will enter league play with the assumption that the squad can go all the way again this year. Tufts, on the other hand, is returning Melissa Baptista ‘18. Similar to Doswell, Baptista started every game for the ‘Bos. She comes off a season where she averaged around thirteen points per game, an All-American selection, and was a threat everywhere on the court. Tufts is already 2-0 on the young season, and I would expect Amherst and Tufts to be at the top when it’s all said and done.

Hot Take 2: It’s going to be a long winter in Lewiston

The Bates Bobcats dropped its opening two non league games last weekend. Everyone has a different mentality when it comes to these games. Obviously, the NESCAC playoffs are determined by a team’s NESCAC record. Every competitor, however, wants to win each game he or she plays in. Therefore, Bates’ two opening losses should raise major red flags. The NESCAC is one of the strongest conferences in the country for DIII in all sports. Losing to non-NESCAC teams isn’t a good statistic. It won’t get any easier for Bates down the road with games against Maine NESCAC rivals on the horizon. Defense for Bates was the major inhibiting factor last year keeping the team from a successful seasons. Giving up eighty-five points to Smith on Sunday isn’t a good sign that they’ve made significant improvements on the defensive side of the game. If Smith puts up that many points, imagine what will happen when Amherst, Tufts, or Bowdoin comes to town. It’s early in the season, but Bates needs to turn it around soon. Nina Davenport ‘18 is one of the best shooters in the conference. She will be one of the difference makers for Bates this season. If she sets the example of focusing on defense just as much as (or more than) offense, the hot take could be wrong.

Nina Davenport ’18 is the key to Bates’ season.

Hot Take 3: Contrary to popular belief, defense still wins championships

The Golden State Warriors have made people believe that the way to win championships and create the ultimate basketball franchise is through quick transitions threes. Daryl Morey, the GM for the Houston Rockets, was the first man in the NBA to use the ‘Moneyball’ approach in basketball. If you watch a Rockets game, you will observe that there are no midrange jump shots, but only dunks/layups and threes (i.e. Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan wouldn’t be a system fit). In the era of offense in the NBA, the score of last year’s NCAA women’s basketball championship was 52-29 Amherst over Tufts. The top two scoring and three point percentage leaders from last season weren’t from Tufts or Amherst. If you want to beat Tufts or Amherst, you have to match their defensive mentality and efficiency. Bates, Colby, and all the other teams who were below .500 last year can put the ball in the basket. However, they couldn’t play the defense that those two outstanding teams could. I think all the teams that will post a record above .500 this year will be great defensive teams that value defense more than flashy offense.

So Long, NBN

It’s been just over a month now since my baseball career and college career came to an end. While I haven’t written a blog in a few months (as Pete happily pointed out towards the end of the semester), I enjoyed watching from arm’s length as Pete and Devin handled NESCAC baseball coverage this spring. Now that I’ve taken some time to digest the fact that I don’t have many days left before I enter the grueling grind of nine to five, I’ve come to realize the fact that one of my favorite parts of college has been writing for Nothing But NESCAC. It might seem a bit corny to write about NESCAC football and basketball games as if they were nationally televised SEC and ACC contests, but for me it has served as a chance to shine some light on the successes of my fellow Division III athletes.

I first heard of NbN my freshman year at Tufts when my roommate, Tim Superko, started cracking up in our dorm room and called me over to his computer. I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw Adam’s equation demonstrating that Superko is a mashup of Paul Konerko and Superman. That kept me reading, and as I enjoyed keeping up with the site throughout my sophomore year, I decided to go out on a limb one night on Twitter and slid into the DMs of the NbN account to ask if I could write for basketball season. To my surprise, Joe responded almost immediately, and just like that, I was on board.

During that first basketball season (my junior year), I was just trying to get my feet wet. I went to every Tufts basketball game (spoiler alert: I’m a Tufts basketball superfan, always have been, always will be) and had grown up at Amherst college basketball games, so I felt like I knew quite a bit about NESCAC hoops. As it turned out, I had a lot to learn about the league, and a lot more to learn about journalistic writing. Regardless, I had a blast that winter. Writing weekly blogs, conducting interviews, and watching NESCAC basketball became my hobbies outside of academics and baseball. Soon enough, the remaining spare time that I had was replaced with editing and arguing with Pete over game predictions and All-NESCAC honors.

I would say the highlight of my blogging career came in the aftermath of posting my predictions for offensive/defensive POY at the beginning of football season this year. An Amherst football alum took exception to the lack of Amherst players on my list, and soon enough we were in a twitter war. That’s the kind of stuff that makes blogging fun – interactions with our readers. Though we do our best to keep up the facade that we know everything there is to know about NESCAC athletics, this is simply not true. It’s great to know when our readers agree with our opinions, but it’s also fun when you challenge us on our points. So please, give Pete hell next fall. People forget that a commenter once referred to him as the Skip Bayless of NESCAC blogging.

While I can’t take credit for starting NbN like Adam and Joe, it has been a privilege to run this blog. A huge thank you goes out to both of you for getting me on board and then convincing me to take the keys to the castle when you guys graduated last year. As I chatted with Adam at halftime of a Tufts basketball NCAA tournament game during my junior winter, I remember thinking “absolutely not” when Adam first mentioned that I should take over the blog for them. Well, as the weeks passed I realized that I was much more into the idea in May than I had been in March. I sit here writing this with a feeling of satisfaction knowing that I made the right choice when I told Joe over the phone last summer that I would accept their offer. Thanks for everything fellas.

I also can’t thank Pete enough for running the site with me this year. Throughout the fall and winter he was constantly coming up with ideas, writing and editing, all while managing his own bundle of extracurriculars. Pete is awesome to work with. He brings energy to the site and always make sure to keep me grounded, evidenced by the shots he takes at me in every other article. I will not soon forget our passionate text arguments regarding power rankings, game predictions, and most memorably, our conversation when he found out that I had picked Ed Ogundeko as my Player of the Year rather than Matt St. Amour. I know that Pete will continue to do a great job with NbN in the fall.

Finally, I’d like to thank all the NESCAC athletes out there. You guys are what makes this site fun and unique. While Division III does not receive the same glory that Division I does, the passion that Division III athletes — and especially NESCAC athletes — play with is just as noteworthy. As a NESCAC junkie that has grown up immersed in this terrific conference, I can say with great certainty that there is no conference quite like the ‘CAC.

One last quick plug, if you have any interest in writing for the site, no matter what sport you’re thinking of (even if we don’t yet cover it!), please reach out on either Facebook, Twitter, or to our email, nothingbutnescac@gmail.com. You can have any sort of commitment level that you like – it’s truly up to you. NbN really is a lot of fun, and speaking from experience, you won’t regret your decision to join us. I’ve had a blast writing about NESCAC sports, and I look forward to reading NbN in the future as it continues on.