Ticket Punched, Spartans Set to Host First and Second Round Games
YORK, PA – In a year of broken records and program firsts,
the list grew with one significant accomplishment on Monday morning
as the York College women’s basketball program was selected
to participate in their first-ever NCAA Division III Women’s
Basketball Championship Tournament. Not only were the Spartans
selected as an at-large, pool C bid, but the Spartans also earned
the right to host three other teams in the opening weekend of the
tournament.
The Spartans (25-2) welcome Christopher Newport (22-6), Cabrini
(23-4), and Baruch (23-5) to Wolf Gymnasium for the weekend.
Cabrini and Baruch square off in Friday’s opening game that
will tip at 5:00 pm followed by York and Christopher Newport at
7:00 pm.
The Spartans advanced to the tournament courtesy of a regular
season that saw the Green and White go 24-1 including 16-0 in the
Capital Athletic Conference. York advanced to the CAC championship
game before being upset by number three seed Mary Washington on
Saturday.
Senior point guard Keli Ward (Nottingham,
Pa./Oxford) leads the Spartans, as the Jostens Trophy
finalist has been one of the top players in the country. Ward is
averaging 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. She
is shooting 52.8% from the floor, 41.8% from three, and 84.4% from
the charity stripe. She is ranked first in the CAC in scoring,
assists, steals, three-point field goal percentage, and assist to
turnover ratio. She is third in free throw percentage, fourth in
field goal percentage, tied for fifth in three-point field goals
made, and eighth in rebounding. Ward is ranked second in the nation
in assists and fifth in assist to turnover ratio. Sophomore
April Sparkman (Walkersville, Md./Walkersville) is
second on the team, and third in the conference, in scoring at 15.6
points per game. She is adding 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per
game. She is shooting 50.3% from the floor and 41.4% from three.
She is the top free throw shooter in the CAC at 86.8%.
Seniors Amanda Andrews (Fallston, Md./Fallston)
and Chanel Perez (Biglerville, Pa./Gettysburg) are
the other two Spartans averaging double figures. Andrews is
averaging 10.7 points and 4.0 caroms per game while Perez is at
10.3 points and 5.9 boards per game.
The Spartans average 76.7 points per game while they are allowing
just 55.0 points per contest. The Spartans shoot 46.1% from the
floor while they have converted 35.7% of their threes for the year.
York shoots 74.8% from the charity stripe.
Christopher Newport earned their trip to the NCAA tournament
courtesy of the USA South Championship as they defeated Greensboro
College, 66-58, in the conference championship game on Saturday.
The Captains will be making their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance
with their last tournament berth coming during the 2006-07
season.
Super sophomore Chelsie Schweers paces the
Captains as she averages 22.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists
per game. She is shooting 49.8% from the field, 40.5% from downtown
and 88.8% from the stripe. Schweers has also collected a team-high
82 steals in 28 games for the Captains. Jessica
Moore is adding 12.3 points and a team-leading 6.4
rebounds per game. Moore has converted 48% of her attempts from the
floor and 71% of her shots from the line. Kimmy
Hopkins is the third Captain in double figures as she
chips in 10.8 points and 3.5 boards per game.
As a team, the Captains average 71.9 points per game while they are
allowing opponents to score 61.0 points per contest. Christopher
Newport shoots the ball at a 44.6% clip from the field and 39.6%
from downtown. The Captains are solid at the free throw line as
they make 71.8% of the attempts from the stripe.
Baruch is making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last
four years as they earned their berth thanks to their 64-63 CUNYAC
Championship game victory over Lehman College.
Kalea Davis leads the Bearcats as she is averaging
16.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. Davis is
shooting 52.3% from the floor but just 55.4% from the free throw
line. Karlee Whipple is adding 12.9 points and 2.1
steals per game while Monique Salmon is the third
Bearcat averaging double figures at 11.6 points per contest.
The Bearcats average 77.8 points per game while they are holding
opponents to just 60.1 points per game. Baruch is shooting 43.4%
from the floor, 34.4% from three, and 57.4% from the free throw
line. They are averaging a whopping 51.2 rebounds per game while
opponents are collecting 41.2 boards per game.
Cabrini is making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance with their
automatic berth that was earned via their Colonial States Athletic
Conference tournament crown. The Cavaliers defeated Gwynedd-Mercy
78-67 on Saturday to earn their fifth conference championship in
program history.
The Cavaliers are led by Deana DiAmico as she is
averaging a team-best 11.6 points per game. DiAmico is adding 3.1
rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. She shoots 45.5% from the floor,
44.2% from three, and 85.5% from the free throw line. Kayleen Smith
is the other Cavalier that is averaging double figures as she chips
in with 10.8 points per game while she pulls down 6.5 rebounds per
game. Brittany McLeod is the Cavaliers’ top
rebounder as she collects 8.2 rebounds per game in addition to her
9.4 points per game.
The Cavaliers average 68.0 points per game while they allow 54.1
points per contest. Cabrini shoots 40.2% from the floor, 34.2% from
three, and 69.1% from the stripe. The Cavaliers have out-rebounded
their opponents 42.6 to 39.4 for the season.
The two first round winners will square off on Saturday night at
7:00 pm with a berth in the Sweet 16 going to the winner.
Tickets will be available at York College starting on Tuesday
morning. Tickets will go on sale from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. All remaining tickets
will be available starting at 4:00 pm Friday, one hour prior to the
tip of the Cabrini and Baruch contest. Tickets are $6.00 for
adults and $3.00 for senior citizens (ages 60 and up) and students
(18 and under). York College students will a valid ID will be
admitted free courtesy of York College.