Five-Star Matchups

The atmosphere in Centennial gyms should be electric this weekend as the second semester is underway throughout Conference campuses. The basketball seasons hit the halfway mark for Conference play, while the dual wrestling season kicks off with a quad involving the top four teams in the Centennial.

McDaniel at Franklin & Marshall (Men's Basketball)
The first-place Green Terror (7-1 CC, 12-3) travel to Lancaster to take on the Diplomats (6-2, 13-2) in a game that will tell us a lot about both squads. McDaniel looks for a season sweep of F&M after downing the Blue, 66-57, just 11 days ago in Westminster. The Diplomats have dropped four straight to the Terror after winning 18 in a row from 1998-2007. Keep an eye on two matchups - guards Miguel Jones and Georgio Milligan and pivotmen Josh McKay and James McNally.

Muhlenberg at Washington (Women's Basketball)
Ordinarily, a matchup between the #25 team in the country and a team that has lost four of its last five would not warrant much attention. But if history teaches us nothing else, it's that if we don't learn from it, we're doomed to repeat it. On their last trip to the Eastern Shore in 2007, the Mules traveled to Chestertown sporting a national ranking and a 22-game win streak against the Shorewomen and were upset, 64-63. You've heard of the play, "Six Characters in Search of an Author." Well, this game may turn on how Washington (4-4, 9-5) can contain Muhlenberg's (10-0, 13-2) "Three Scorers in Search of a Nickname" - Alexandra Chili (15.7), Lauren Boyle (14.6) and Kelly McKeon (11.6). The Mules are just the fourth team to start the Centennial season 10-0.

McDaniel, Merchant Marine, Washington & Lee at Stevens (Wrestling)
The Centennial dual-meet season opens Saturday with the Green Terror (2-0, 6-9), Mariners (0-0, 7-6) and Generals (1-0, 2-2) traveling to Hoboken to face the Ducks (0-0, 6-6). USMMA is ranked 13th nationally and features a trio of ranked grapplers in #8 Philip Greene (133), #8 James Beshada (14-3, 141) and #6 Dan Twito (12-4, 149). Stevens' Mark Bisitis (141) is 16-5, while the Dormann brothers - Leo (157) and Ryan (174) - are 18-8, 19-7, respectively. W&L's John Christopher is 10-4 at 285 and could face McDaniel's Brock Glotfelty (23-1), ranked 10th nationally, in one of the premier bouts of the day.