Three ODAC Schools Prepare for NCAA Basketball

GC Men to Host, VWC Men and BC Women Travel for First Round

March 4, 2008

SALEM, Va. --- Three ODAC schools are in preparation for play in this season's NCAA Division III Basketball Tournaments.  Both Guilford College and Bridgewater College earned automatic qualifiers into the national tourneys after winning the ODAC men's and women's championships, respectively.  The Virginia Wesleyan College men picked up an at-large bid in a vote by the men's basketball committee.

Guilford has the extra distinction of hosting first and second round games in Ragan-Brown Field House.  The Quakers, who are currently ranked #8 in the latest D3hoops.com top-25 poll, will play St. Mary's College (Md.) in the first.  Guilford also hosts the Averett University vs. Widener University first round tilt.  Both first rounds games will take place on March 7 with the winners playing on March 8 in the regional final.

Virginia Wesleyan, #21 in the D3hoops.com poll, finds itself on the other side of the bracket, lending the possibility that a rematch of the ODAC championship game could be in store for Salem, Virginia, on March 22.  The Marlins open with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) at Ursinus College (Collegeville, Pa.).  With a victory, VWC would face the winner of Ursinus and Baptist Bible College for a spot in the third round.

On the women's side, Bridgewater looks to continue its run at the University of Mary Washington.  The Eagles match up with The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in the first round with UMW taking on Baruch on the other side of the bracket.  Both of those games will also be played on March 7 with the winners clashing on March 8.

Listed below are the ODAC schedules for games this coming weekend.  For full brackets, visit www.ncaasports.com and choose either men's or women's basketball.  For more information on each regional, visit the host institutions’ websites at www.guilford.edu, www.ursinus.edu and www.umw.edu.

Men's Bracket - Guilford Regional
Campus of Guilford College  -  Greensboro, N.C.  -  Ragan-Brown Field House
Friday, March 7
Averett (14-14) vs. Widener (22-5) - 6:00 p.m.
St. Mary's (17-11) vs. Guilford (24-4) - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 8
Regional Final - 7:00 p.m.

Men's Bracket - Ursinus Regional
Campus of Ursinus College  -  Collegeville, Pa.  -  Helfferich Hall
Friday, March 7
WPI (21-6) vs. Virginia Wesleyan (22-6) - 6:00 p.m.
Baptist Bible (18-9) vs. Ursinus (25-2) - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 8
Regional Final - 7:00 p.m.

Women's Bracket - Mary Washington Regional
Campus of the University of Mary Washington  -  Fredericksburg, Va.  -  Goolrick Gym
Friday, March 7
TCNJ (21-6) vs. Bridgewater (15-13) - 4:00 p.m.
Baruch (22-6) vs. Mary Washington (26-2) - 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 8
Regional Final - 5:00 p.m.