Last Night's aCCtion

photo by Jeff Ruppenthal

Joel Schreiner of the Lancaster Sunday News asks the rhetorical question, 'Just how good has the F&M defense been lately' after the Diplomats' win over Swarthmore.

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that there was a distinct difference in the noise level between the Muhlenberg and McDaniel men's teams after their overtime clash on Saturday.

Barry Silverman of the Carroll County Times notes that McDaniel head coach Becky Martin has her priorities - and her team's - in order after the Terror recorded the program's 600th all-time win.

Bill Wagner of the Annapolis Capital writes that McDaniel senior guard Ali Moreland has matured into the go-to threat for the Green Terror.

Staff Reports:
Pottstown Mercury
Harrisburg Patriot-News
Carlisle Sentinel
Delaware County Times
Philadelphia Inquirer
Annapolis Capital

Five-Star Matchups

Dickinson at Franklin & Marshall (Men's Swimming)
The Red Devils (3-0, 4-2) visit Lancaster to take on the Diplomats (4-0, 4-2) in a battle between Centennial unbeatens. It is the 92nd time that the two schools have met in the pool with F&M holding a five-meet win streak and a 60-31 overall lead. The day's best race could come in the 50 free between Dickinson's Doug Murray (21.85) and the Diplomats' David Apple (21.93).

Washington at Gettysburg (Men's Basketball)
The Shoremen (6-5 CC, 8-7) travel to the Battlefield to take on the Bullets (7-4, 9-8) in a game that could affect playoff positions down the stretch. Gettysburg won the year's first meeting by an 82-54 count in Chestertown on Jan. 9. and looks for its 11th win in its last 12 meetings with Washington. An Orange and Blue win would give the Bullets a two-game lead (with the tie-breaker) over the Shoremen with six games remaining. Washington has won just once at Bream Gym in the last 12 years - last season by a 64-62 count.

Merchant Marine vs. Ursinus (Wrestling)
The 12th ranked Mariners (2-0, 8-6) and the Bears (2-0, 7-0) meet at Muhlenberg in a match that could decide the Conference's dual-meet champion. Merchant Marine has three wrestlers in this week's NWCA top 10 - Vincent Renaut (165, 9th), Justin Diesel (174, 5th) and Eric Vincent (197, 9th). The match of the day could be between Vincent (20-2) and Connor McNamara (23-3).

Last Night's aCCtion

John Tuscano of the Harrisburg Patriot-News writes that Caitlin Moser's big second-half performance was the difference in Gettysburg's win at Dickinson.

Staff reports:
Delaware County Times
Gettysburg Times
Pottstown Mercury
Philadelphia Inquirer (men) - (women)
Baltimore Sun.

Five-Star Matchups

Washington at Ursinus (Men's Basketball)
The Bears (7-3 CC, 11-6) welcome the Shoremen (6-4, 8-6) to Helfferich Hall for the 79th meeting between the two rivals since 1972. Washington holds a 41-37 series advantage and won the last meeting a year ago in Chestertown, ending a six-game UC win streak. Ursinus has won the previous 11 meetings in Collegeville since an 80-76 loss in an East Division tie-breaker game in 1999. Watch the matchups of multi-talented guards in the Shoremen's Andrew Chambers (16.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and the Bears' Remy Cousart (15.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 4.9 apg).

Gettysburg at Dickinson (Women's Basketball)
The Bullets (9-2, 14-2) and Red Devils (8-4, 12-4) meet for the 67th time in a series that dates to 1975. Gettysburg holds a 43-23 series lead but Dickinson has won four of the last five, including three straight at the Kline Center. The game could come down to the frontcourt battle between the Bullets' Caitlin Moser (14.5 ppg) and Courtney Fields (12.1) against the Devils' Alesha Sisco (13.7) and Carole Dempsey (13.4).

Last Night's aCCtion

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that two teams headed in different directions met Saturday afternoon in Westminster with McDaniel reversing its trend with an overtime win vs. Washington.

Land also writes about the Green Terror women and their cardiac tendencies which were on display Saturday in the overtime win against Washington.

Staff reports are on file from the Lancaster Sunday News (men) (women), Pottstown Mercury, Philadelphia Inquirer, Annapolis Capital, and Carlisle Sentinel.

Five-Star Matchups

The second semester is underway at the Centennial Conference and the contests begin taking on greater importance.

Ursinus at Franklin & Marshall (Women's Swimming)
The Diplomats (3-0 CC, 3-2) welcome the surprising Bears (3-1, 8-1) to the McGuiness Pool for an interesting dual meet. F&M has won 11 straight meets from Ursinus and holds a 21-13 all-time lead. The meet will be a good indication of how far the UC program has come and to whether the Diplomats can contend for the Centennial title in late February.

Gettysburg, Muhlenberg, Ursinus at Johns Hopkins
Merchant Marine, Stevens, Washington & Lee at McDaniel (Wrestling)
It's the first big weekend for Conference quad matches and the dual meets will give us a better indication of where the strength lies in the Centennial in 2010. Ursinus (5-0) brings an undefeated overall dual record to Baltimore, while Merchant Marine is ranked 13th nationally. Four wrestlers are ranked nationally, according to the Jan. 11 NWCA rankings - USMMA's Vincent Renault (10th, 165), Justin Diesel (8th, 174) and Eric Vincent (10th, 197), and McDaniel's Brock Glotfelty (10th, 285). D3wrestle.com adds USMMA's Dan Twito (10th, 157) and Stevens' Joe Favia (10th, 165)

Last Night's aCCtion

Cory Mull of the Hanover Evening Sun writes that McDaniel's Ashley Lyles celebrated her 22nd birthday in style, with a brownie and the game-winning points vs. Gettysburg.

Keith Groller of the Allentown Morning Call writes that Ursinus' Jon Ward was really looking forward to playing before the home folks at Muhlenberg last night. Unfortunately, the dozen or so friends and family only saw him in a coat and tie.

Staff reports are available from the Carlisle Sentinel, Carroll County Times (women) (men), Gettysburg Times, Baltimore Sun, Pottstown Mercury and Delaware County Times.

Rivalry Night

It's the first of two "Rivalry Nights" in Centennial basketball this season. Tonight, some of the top matchups in the Conference are renewed, including Haverford-Swarthmore, Muhlenberg-Ursinus, and Dickinson-Franklin & Marshall. But the night's biggest women's games take place in Chestertown and Gettysburg, as Johns Hopkins and McDaniel come to town, while Allentown is the place to be on the men's side.

McDaniel at Gettysburg (Women's Basketball)
This is the 77th time that the Green Terror (9-2 CC, 10-4) and the #24 Bullets (8-1, 13-1) have met on the hardwood and one of the first times that first place in the Conference is on the line. McDaniel has won 10 straight games, inclduing an overtime win at No. 9 Muhlenberg last week, but the Terror is 0-3 in its last three trips to the Battlefield. Gettysburg is looking to bounce back from its first loss of the season, falling at home to the Mules. The Orange and Blue has won five straight in the series but trails all-time, 42-34. Two of the Centennial's top players will take center stage tonight in McDaniel's Ali Moreland (14.9 ppg) and Gettysburg's Caitlin Moser (15.4 ppg). Expect a full house, as Gettysburg is promoting the game as "Orange Crush Night." Watch the game online.

Johns Hopkins at Washington (Women's Basketball)
The Blue Jays (5-5, 7-7) and the Shorewomen (4-5, 6-9) meet in a contest that does not have implications on the top spot in the Conference, but certainly on the playoff chase as we close in on February. Hopkins, Washington, F&M, Ursinus and Swarthmore are all within one game of the fifth and final playoff spot at the halfway mark. A win tonight gives one team a leg up on the pack. Hopkins has a 21-1 all-time mark against Washington, but the Shorewomen' only win came in the teams' last meeting last season at the Cain Center (66-58). Keep an eye on the inside battle between JHU's Lyndsay Burton (7.9 rpg) and Washington's Erin Kile (8.5 rpg).

Ursinus at Muhlenberg (Men's Basketball)
There are more natural rivalries among Centennial schools, such as Haverford-Swarthmore, but in terms of competitiveness, this one could be unmatched. Muhlenberg (6-2, 8-6) leads the all-time series with Ursinus (5-3, 9-6), 59-36, and the teams have split the series since 1994, winning 16 games apiece. Twelve of the last 20 games between the teams have been decided by nine points or less with three contests determined in overtime. It will be a contrast of styles, as the Mules like to power the ball inside to Peter Barnes (11.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg) and Spencer Liddic (12.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg), while the Bears possess the backcourt strength of Matt Hilton (16.9 ppg, 48.5% 3pt FG) and Remy Cousart (15.4 ppg).

Last Night's aCCtion

photo by Michael Kubel, The Morning Call


Andre D. Williams of the Allentown Morning Call writes that Muhlenberg was down and out for the count, trailing DeSales by 15 in the second half. Then the alarm clock sounded and Alexandra Chili answered the bell.

Last Night's aCCtion

Ed Gruver of the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal writes that if the Washington College men make the CC playoffs, expect Andrew Chambers to be a big reason. His hustle, not to mention his 28-foot dagger, led the Shoremen past No. 11 ranked Franklin & Marshall, 68-63, in overtime.

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that the McDaniel women found a way to rally back from a 17-point deficit to down late-arriving but fast-starting Ursinus.

Land also wrote that when the McDaniel men needed to be at their best against Ursinus, they were at their worst in a 62-57 loss to the Bears.

Tom Sixeas of the Hanover Evening Sun writes about Muhlenberg's sweep of homestanding Gettysburg.

Staff reports come from the Allentown Morning Call, the Carlisle Sentinel, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Pottstown Mercury.

Last Night's aCCtion

D3hoops.com says don't discount McDaniel in the Centennial women's race after the Terror's 72-71 overtime win at ninth-ranked Muhlenberg.

Kevin Freeman of the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal writes that Franklin & Marshall could not pull off another miracle comeback against Washington in its 61-56 loss to the Shorewomen.

Mandy Housenick of the Allentown Morning Call wrote that Muhlenberg couldn't ask more from center Peter Barnes in its loss to Franklin & Marshall. Now for the rest of his teammates ...

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that the McDaniel men got the message that coach Kevin Curley was sending in its 69-44 victory over visiting Haverford.

Roundups courtesy of the Delaware County Daily Times, Annapolis Capital, and Harrisburg Patriot-News.

Five-Star Matchups

McDaniel at Muhlenberg (Women's Basketball)
It is the 32nd meeting in one of the best rivalries in the Conference. The ninth-ranked Mules (6-0 CC, 8-1) have won six straight to take a 17-14 series advantage on the Green Terror (6-2, 7-4). 'Berg has won five of the last six contests at Memorial Hall, including a 67-51 decision in the CC semifinals last winter. McDaniel's last win in Allentown was a 70-45 triumph in 2007. The play of the backcourt could make the difference, as Muhlenberg's Alexandra Chili (17.3) and Kelly McKeon (11.1) square off against the Terror's Ali Moreland (14.7). The Mules won the first meeting of the year on Nov. 23 by a 70-64 count in Westminster. Watch the game LIVE.

Franklin & Marshall at Muhlenberg (Men's Basketball)
This is certainly the "Game of the Night" in the Conference as the 11th ranked Diplomats (4-1, 10-2) travel to Memorial Hall to take on the Mules (5-0, 7-4). It is the 127th meeting between the long-time rivals with F&M holding a 67-59 advantage. Muhlenberg is 8-5 against the Dips in Allentown since 1994 with wins in four of the last five contests at home. Franklin & Marshall edged 'Berg, 60-59, last season at Memorial Hall. Defense will be the name of this game, as Muhlenberg (34.5) and F&M (35.5) are 1-2 in the Conference in FG percentage defense. The battle of the boards could also be pivotal, as the Mules' Peter Barnes (9.3) and Spencer Liddic (8.5) are 2-3 in the CC, while F&M's James McNally (8.4) and Mike Baker (7.3) are 4th and 8th, respectively. Watch the game LIVE.

Gettysburg at Ursinus (Men's Basketball)
The other two of the top four teams in the Conference meet in Collegeville as the Bears (3-2, 7-5) play host to the Bullets (4-1, 6-5). Gettysburg ended an 11-game losing streak to Ursinus last season, winning 73-68, at Bream Gym. But the Orange and Blue has not defeated UC at Helfferich Hall since the 2004-05 season (71-63). These are the two top shooting clubs in the Centennial, as Gettysburg connects on 48.1 percent from the floor, while the Bears are a tick behind at 47.9. The two top scorers in the CC will also be on display in the Bullets' Andrew Powers (19.8) and Ursinus' Matt Hilton (18.3).

Last Night's aCCtion

Jeffrey Kauffman of the Carlisle Sentinel wrote that the Dickinson women dug themselves a big hole early and could not get over the hump in a 62-54 loss to Ursinus.

Joel Schreiner of the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal writes that fortunes can change quickly in the game of basketball. Example #1 came last night in Franklin & Marshall's win over Haverford.

Will Welliver of the Intell notes that it was local offense and team defense that made the difference as the F&M women knocked off Haverford.

Jeff Cook of the Gettysburg Times wrote that neither crowd control nor deficits were problems as the Gettysburg women edged Swarthmore.

Cory Mull of the Hanover Evening Sun writes that this Gettysburg women's team is very real and dangerous after winning its 11th straight to open the season. He also notes that Gettysburg freshman Alex Zurn has shown his teammates that he has some serious leaping ability ... and now Swarthmore now as well after the Bullets downed the Garnet, 80-63.

The Allentown Morning Call has a capsule summary of the Muhlenberg men's 65-57 overtime win at Johns Hopkins. The Delaware County Daily Times has a local roundup.

Five-Star Matchups

McDaniel at Washington (Women's Basketball)
The Green Terror (4-2, 5-4) and the Shorewomen (3-2, 5-5) meet in Chestertown in a battle between two of the three teams tied for third place in the CC with two conference defeats. McDaniel, riding a five-game win streak, has won 12 straight from Washington since an 84-80 loss at the Cain Center in 2003. Three of the Centennial's top scorers will be on display in the Terror's Ali Moreland (15.3) and the Shorewomen's sister duo of Sally (15.2) and Jane O'Donnell (14.0).

Notable
Three long-running streaks are on the line tonight. The Ursinus women's basketball team travels to Dickinson, looking for its first win at the Kline Center since 1998 (0-7). On the men's side, Haverford visits Franklin & Marshall in a quest to snap a 20-game losing streak at the Mayser Center that dates to 1977. And McDaniel heads to the Eastern Shore, hoping to return to Westminster with its first victory against the Shoremen at the "House of Cain" since 1982 (0-16).