The Alternative Press

Tom Killian (Summit, Jr.) shot over 50 percent from the field as Amherst won the New England Small College Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament last weekend and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division 3 tournament that begins this weekend. Killian, a 6-4 guard out of Delbarton, scored 10 points in Saturday’s semifinal win, 80-64, over Tufts. He made four of seven field goal attempts, including one of three from long range, and his only free throw. Five rebounds landed in his hands, as well. Killian tacked on eight points in Sunday’s 74-73 championship win over Williams. He shot 3-for-5 from the floor, including 2-for-4 from outside the three-point arc. He, again, gathered five caroms. Amherst (25-2) has received a first-round bye and, on Saturday, will host the winner of Friday’s Plattsburgh State-Husson game.

Saturday's Nescac semifinal showdown between Middlebury and Williams can be viewed in terms of the glass as half full for the Panthers after they suffered an 87-80 overtime loss to Williams. Sure, they lost, but they gained an extra day to rest up for Saturday's first-round NCAA Division 3 playoff game against Curry at Middlebury. Joey Kizel (Short Hills, Jr.) treated the Panthers (22-3) to 19 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field, (4-for-10 from long range) and 1-for-2 from the foul line. He also earned credit for four assists and four steals.

Saturday's final-round game of the Empire 8 tournament in Hoboken had a surprise ending, as Ithaca College thumped Stevens Tech, 70-55, to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA D3 tourney. Ithaca's defense handcuffed the Ducks, who shot just 38 percent from the floor. Jordan Healey (Summit, Sr.) saw limited action off the bench for the Bombers (19-8); he scored two points on free throws and came down with two rebounds. Stevens, meanwhile, got solid production from Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, Soph.) when he wasn’t on the bench due to foul trouble. He scored 14 points, making seven of 11 shots from the floor, in 21 minutes. Teammate Russ Thompson (West Orange, Sr.) added 11 points to the Ducks' total, canning four of 13 shots from the floor, including three of eight from Eli Manning's doorstep. Stevens (22-5) wrangled an at-large bid to the D3 conclave and will face Randolph-Macon at Lehman College in the Bronx on Saturday, while Ithaca (19-8) takes on Springfield on that rival's floor on Saturday.

James Burke (Scotch Plains, Sr.) put 11 points on the scoreboard for MIT in Saturday's 68-60 loss to Springfield in Worcester, Mass. in a semifinal round game of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference tournament. A 5-ll guard out of Seton Hall Prep, Burke hollowed out the bucket on four of his 11 shots from the floor (three of eight at a distance). He also got credit for four assists, co-high for MIT (20-5), which has received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division 3 Tournament, with an opening-round game at St. Mary's (Md.) on Saturday.

Jack Cole (New Providence, Soph.) had another unrequited double-double as Stonehill lost, 66-63, to Bentley in Easton, Mass. on Saturday. Cole, a 6-8 forward out of New Providence High, scored 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field and 2-for-3 from the justice line. He also grabbed 12 caroms, a game high. The Skyhawks descended to 11-14 overall and 7-14 in the New England-10.

De'Vaughn Reid (West Orange, Soph.) managed a co-team-high three assists in just 12 minutes of action for Holy Cross in a 74-57 loss to Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pa. on Sunday. Reid, a 6-foot guard out of Rice High School in New York City, also scored two points, hitting one of three field goal attempts for the Crusaders (11-16, 3-9 Patriot League).

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Chenae Earle (South Orange, Sr.) scored eight points for Emmanuel in Saturday's 68-45 win over Suffolk in the championship game of the Great Northeast Conference tournament in Boston. Three of the six shots she lofted sifted the twine, along with two of her four free throws. The 5-7 guard out of Columbia High also assisted on four buckets and had three steals. Emmanuel (23-5) moves on to NCAA Division 3 tournament play on Friday against Rochester on that rival's hardwood.

Gettysburg won its first Centennial Conference crown with a 68-66 victory over Swarthmore at home on Saturday. The Bullets' Caroline Murphy (Chatham, Sr.) was the game's high scorer with 19 points; the 6-1 Chatham High product nailed seven of 17 shots from the field, including the one time she strayed out beyond the three-point perimeter, and four of five free throws. Gettysburg now has a date with William Paterson in Grantham, Pa. on Friday in first-round NCAA D3 action.  

Lindsay Atchison (Green Village, Sr.) of King's College wrapped up her collegiate career with an 18-point outing in the championship game of the Freedom Conference tournament in Madison on Saturday, won by FDU-Florham, 76-64. The 6-foot forward out of Chatham High sank seven of 15 field goal attempts, including three of five from the Hartley Dodge Memorial, and one of two free throws. Seven rebounds landed in her hands, as well. King's ended the season with a 21-6 record. Atchison averaged 10.7 points per game this season and 5.9 rebounds. She also led the team in blocked shots with 28.  

Felician called it a season with a 65-56 win over Nyack in Rutherford on Saturday. Ashley Morris (West Orange, Soph.) bid adieu to the campaign with an eight-point performance that featured no misses from six free throws. Six rebounds glanced the way of the 5-10 forward out of West Orange High, as well. The Golden Falcons flew to an 8-18 overall record, 8-11 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

Princeton showed Columbia little mercy in a 96-38 trouncing at Jadwin Gym on Friday. The Tigers' Amanda Berntsen (Chatham, Fr.) played 18 minutes and scored five points, meted out four assists and pulled off three steals. Princeton is 18-5 overall and 9-0 in the Ivy League.

MEN'S LACROSSE

Terry McKenna (Summit, Soph.) scored two goals and James Kennedy (Summit, Sr.) had one for Holy Cross, 11-9 winners over Hartford in Worcester, Mass. on Saturday. Kennedy scored the game's first goal just 67 seconds into play. He later assisted on three other tallies, including the Crusaders' final goal, thrown in by McKenna. Holy Cross is 1-1.

BASEBALL

Frank Schwindel (Livingston, Jr.) blasted his first home run of the season, a three-run shot over the left field wall, to help St. John's (N.Y.) defeat Georgia Tech, 9-7, in the second game of a Sunday doubleheader in Atlanta. The Red Storm is now 1-5.