Last Night's aCCtion

Mandy Housenick of The Morning Call writes that Katie Brooks needed just six minutes to make an impact in Johns Hopkins' 67-57 victory at Muhlenberg. She also notes that the Mule men's victory over the Blue Jays was eerily familiar.

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that the McDaniel women capped an uplifting week with a 73-35 win over Bryn Mawr.

Five-Star Matchups

As a snowy January draws to a close, the games start to heat up in the Conference as basketball teams begin to jockey for playoff position, and swimmers and wrestlers prepare for championship time.

Johns Hopkins at Muhlenberg (Women's Basketball)
The first and second-place teams in the Conference meet in a rematch of their overtime clash on Jan. 17. The Blue Jays (12-2 CC, 15-3) held off the Mules (9-3, 13-4), 86-75, as Chantal Mattiola poured in a career-high 24 points. 'Berg's Alexandra Chili scored 27 of her game-high 32 points in the second half. Hopkins has not won at Memorial Hall since 2005 (0-7) - the last time that JHU swept the season series.

Dickinson at Ursinus (Women's Basketball)
Franklin & Marshall at Haverford (Women's Basketball)
These two games are critical for the playoff chances of all four teams. The Bears (8-5, 11-6) and the Diplomats (8-5, 10-8) can go a long way to securing a spot in the five-team field with wins. The Red Devils (5-8, 7-10) and the Fords (5-8, 8-10) can ill afford another CC loss and, with victories, can get right back in the playoff chase. Ursinus defeated Dickinson, 44-33, on Dec. 11 behind a 13-point, 12-rebound effort from Lindsay Teuber. The Bears look for their first season sweep of the Devils and their first home win against the Red since 2002. The Fords are also looking for their first-ever sweep of the Diplomats, following a 53-39 win on Dec. 11 as Nina Voith had a double-double with 21-13.

McDaniel at Washington College (Men's Basketball)
The Green Terror (6-4, 9-8) looks to set some program marks when it visits the "House of Cain" and the Shoremen (5-6, 6-12). McDaniel has already defeated Washington twice this season and a third victory would be a program first. Also, the Terror has lost 17 straight times in Chestertown since an 84-80 win back in 1982. The Shoremen need to hold (home)court in their quest to return to the Centennial playoffs.

Swarthmore at Gettysburg (Men's Swimming)
The two remaining CC unbeatens meet at Bullets Pool with first-place in the dual-meet standings on the line. The Garnet (3-0, 5-0) is led by sophomore Daniel Duncan, while the Bullets' (3-0, 5-1) Matt Libby may be the best sprinter in the Conference with the Centennial's top times in the 100 and 200 free and second-best time in the 50.

Ursinus, Stevens at Merchant Marine (Wrestling)
The three undefeated teams in the Conference dual-meet standings square off at Kings Point on Sunday. Merchant Marine (2-0, 8-2), the three-time defending Centennial champ, is ranked 11th nationally and has three wrestlers among the top 10 in their respective weight classes - 165 Vincent Renaut (4th), 174 Justin Diesel (7th) and 285 Judd Connell (3rd) - while Stevens 141 Ryan Bridge is ranked 6th. Matches to watch include 157 between USMMA's Dan Twito (7-2) and Stevens' Leo Dormann (19-8); 174 between Diesel (17-1) and the Ducks' Ryan Dormann (25-2) and 184 between Ursinus' Nate Murran (19-6) and the Mariners' Erik Schott (18-3).

McElligott Invitational (Track and Field)
One of the premier meets of the indoor season takes place Saturday at Haverford - the site of the 2011 CC Championship. Athletes to watch include Haverford's Tim Schoch, Eric Arnold (mile) and Christina Neilson (400); Swarthmore's Chelsea Hicks (55, triple jump); and Ursinus' Jordan Grannum (55, 200) and Amanda Laurito (55).

Centennial Hoops Tonight

With seven games on the docket tonight, let's do a live blog. We'll take your comments and questions about Conference basketball beginning at 6 p.m. Join us!

Last Night's aCCtion

Jeff Cook of the Gettysburg Times writes about Gettysburg's mastery of Haverford at Bream Gym after another Bullet sweep of the Fords.

Mike Gross of the Lancaster Sunday News writes that despite the absence of the school's all-time leading scorer, Franklin & Marshall avenged its earlier loss at McDaniel.

STAFF REPORTS
Patriot-News, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer (women), Philadelphia Inquirer (men).

Five-Star Matchups

Swarthmore at Ursinus (Women's Basketball)
The Garnet (6-5 CC, 10-6) looks for a season sweep against the Bears (7-4, 10-5) in a showdown between teams headed the wrong way in the Conference standings. Both Swarthmore and Ursinus have dropped two in a row and look for a win to right the ship. The Garnet defeated the Bears, 70-62, back on Dec. 4 as Ceylan Bodur tossed in 17 points. Swarthmore has not swept Ursinus in a season set since 2005, but leads the all-time series 64-22.

Johns Hopkins at Ursinus (Wrestling)
The Blue Jays (1-0, 4-8) and the Bears (0-0, 4-0) meet in Collegeville in an early-season test. Ursinus is undefeated against Hopkins since the inception of the Conference in 1994. Nate Murren leads the Bears with a 17-6 record at 184. Pat Stanley has a 14-3 record at 174 for the Jays.

McDaniel at Franklin & Marshall (Men's Basketball)
The Green Terror (6-3, 9-7) and the Diplomats (7-2, 12-4) meet in a first-place showdown in Lancaster. The home team has won each of the last six meetings between the teams and McDaniel, fresh from a 61-53 win vs. F&M on Jan. 11, looks for its first season sweep since 2008. Keep an eye on the guards - F&M's Georgio Milligan (17.1) and McDaniel's Devon Lesniak (15.3).

Haverford at Gettysburg (Men's Basketball)
The Fords (6-3, 9-6) look for their first-ever season sweep of the Bullets (6-3, 9-7) when they visit the Battlefield. Haverford defeated Gettysburg 65-55 back on Dec. 4 but has never beaten the Orange and Blue at Bream Gym. Two of the CC's most dynamic scorers take the floor in Haverford's Cam Baker (18.1) and Gettysburg's Andrew Powers (20.4).

Last Night's aCCtion

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that the word "miracle" is tossed around with too much ease in sporting circles these days. Maybe last night's McDaniel 67-65 overtime win against Gettysburg qualifies.

Pat Stoetzer of the Carroll County Times writes that the Green Terror women took two steps back in a 60-43 loss to visiting Gettysburg.

Kurt Bopp of The Sentinel writes that Dickinson capitalized at the foul line in its 55-48 win over visiting Franklin & Marshall.

STAFF REPORTS: Baltimore Sun, Gettysburg Times (women), Gettysburg Times (men), Patriot-News, Philadelphia Inquirer

photo by Ken Koons, Carroll County Times

Five-Star Matchups

It's "Rivalry Night" in the Conference, as the schedule-maker set up showdowns between some of the fiercest rivals in the Centennial. We'll keep an eye on the fiercest - Haverford at Swarthmore - but here are the three biggest games of the night.

Muhlenberg at Ursinus (Women's Basketball)
It's the 63rd time that the Mules (6-3, 10-4) and the Bears (7-3, 10-4) have met on the hardwood with Muhlenberg holding a 35-27 overall lead, including four straight wins. Ursinus has not won at Helfferich since a 67-65 overtime win in 2007. Both teams are a game behind front-running Johns Hopkins in the loss column and would keep their hold on second place with a victory. Alexandra Chili of the Mules leads the CC in scoring (21.3), while the Bears' Lindsay Teuber averages a double-double with 12.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

Dickinson at Franklin & Marshall (Men's Basketball)
The Red Devils (5-3, 7-8) play host to the Diplomats (6-2, 11-4) in the 167th edition of their rivalry. F&M swept the season set a year ago to stop a Dickinson run of four wins in five games and take a 102-64 all-time advantage. The Diplomats are tied for first place with Gettysburg, while Dickinson is in a three-way tie for third with Haverford and McDaniel. F&M senior James McNally needs two points tonight to become the program's all-time leading scorer. Matt Dolan leads the Devils in scoring (14.1) and rebounding (8.1).

Gettysburg at McDaniel (Men's Basketball)
It's the Route 97 rivalry tonight in Westminster as the first-place Bullets (6-2, 9-6) travel to take non the third-place Green Terror (5-3, 8-7). Just over 20 miles separate these two rivals who meet for the 102nd time since 1917. Gettysburg has won four consecutive meetings and holds a 73-28 advantage. McDaniel's last win was a 56-53 triumph at home in 2009. The Bullets' Andrew Powers is having his best season as a collegian, ranking fourth in the CC in scoring (19.8), seventh in rebounding (6.7) and sixth in assists (2.9). Devon Lesniak leads the Terror in scoring (14.3).

Get links to live video, audio and stats at www.centennial.org

Five-Star Matchups

On this Martin Luther King day, we pause to reflect on the message of a great American and how we can better ourselves. This evening, the Conference's top six women's basketball teams will square off in an attempt to better improve their Centennial standing. Can't make it to the gym tonight? Join us online for a live blog beginning at 6:45. We'll provide "live look-ins," take your questions and add our comments at the window below.

Muhlenberg at Johns Hopkins
The Mules (6-2 CC, 10-3) travel to the Charm City to meet the Blue Jays (8-2, 11-3) in one of the top rivalries in the Conference. Hopkins holds an 18-15 all-time lead in the series and snapped a 10-game losing streak to 'Berg with a 73-66 win at Goldfarb last season. The two teams have met nine times in the postseason since 1996 with the Jays winning five. The Blue Jays have held consecutive opponents under 40 points for the first time since 2005-06. The first 20 minutes could tell the story - Hopkins is 11-1 when leading at the half, while Swarthmore is 9-1.

Ursinus at Franklin & Marshall
The Bears (7-2, 10-3) head to Lancaster to take on the Diplomats (6-3, 8-6), looking for a season sweep of F&M after a 60-55 victory on Nov. 30. Sarah Martin led Ursinus with 16 points, while Lindsay Teuber had a double-double with 10 points and 13 boards. Megan Pauley led the Diplomats with 20 markers. Since the formation of the Centennial in 1994, this series is tied at 12 wins apiece. A close game favors the Bears, who are 5-1 this season in games decided by five points or less.

Swarthmore at Gettysburg
The Garnet (6-3, 10-4) is on the road to the Battlefield to square off against the Bullets (5-4, 10-4). Gettysburg has won 10 in a row from Swarthmore and has not lost at home to the Garnet since 2004 (6-0). Garnet senior Kathryn Stockbower has 75 career double-doubles and is four shy of the Conference and NCAA Division III record of 79, set by Johns Hopkins' Julie Anderson. Stockbower and Gettysburg's Caitlin Moser are 1-2 among active CC players in career scoring and rebounding.

Last Night's aCCtion

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that there is a noticeable change in attitude around the locker room after McDaniel won its third straight game with a 54-45 win over Ursinus.

Land also writes that the Green Terror women shook off an historic loss with a 62-54 win against Washington College.

Roundups
Annapolis Capital, Philadelphia Inquirer.

Last Night's aCCtion

Jeff Cook of the Gettysburg Times writes the weather outside Gettysburg's Bream Gym was plenty nasty, while inside, there was an avalanche in the Bullets' win over Bryn Mawr.

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that the McDaniel women's early-season bad habits reared their head again last night in a loss to Swarthmore.

Land also wrote that the Green Terror men continued their winning streak at home against Franklin & Marshall, defeating the 18th ranked Diplomats, 61-53.

Staff Reports: Philadelphia Inquirer and Baltimore Sun

Last Night's aCCtion

Tom Housenick of the Morning Call writes that DeSales was not supposed to beat nationally-ranked Muhlenberg in their showdown on Monday night ... but they did.

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that the timing for tonight's McDaniel-Franklin & Marshall men's basketball game is quite intriguing.

Last Night's aCCtion

Tom Housenick of the Morning Call writes that although the large leads dwindled in size, the Muhlenberg men and women held on for wins versus McDaniel.

Mike Gross of the Lancaster Sunday News writes that the more important number in Franklin & Marshall's 85-46 win over Swarthmore was the smaller one.

Five-Star Matchups

Welcome to the first edition of "Five-Star Matchups" for 2011. Conference play resumes in full force on Saturday and here are the games to watch.

Dickinson at Haverford (Men's Basketball)
The surprising Red Devils (4-1 CC, 6-6) look to tighten their hold on second place in the CC when they visit the Main Line to play the Fords (3-2, 6-5). Haverford has won four straight in the series and 15 of 24 since the inception of the Conference. Dickinson's last win at Gooding Arena was in 2008 (51-50). The Devils' Matt Dolan ranks in the CC top 10 in scoring (14.4) and rebounding (8.3), as does the Fords' Sam Permutt (15.8, 9.2).

Ursinus at Johns Hopkins (Women's Basketball)
The first-place Blue Jays (6-0, 9-1) welcome the Bears (5-2, 8-3) to Goldfarb Gym, looking to extend their nine-game winning streak. Hopkins has not lost since its opening game and has won five in a row versus Ursinus. The Bears have not won in Baltimore since 1995 (74-70) - a stretch of 15 games. Although JHU is second in the Conference in scoring offense (68.3), expect a low-scoring contest, as the Jays (46.0) and Bears (48.7) are 1-2 in the Centennial in scoring defense.

Swarthmore at Franklin & Marshall (Women's Basketball)
The Garnet (4-1, 8-2) finds itself tied for second place in the Conference but faces a road challenge against the Diplomats (4-2, 6-5). Swarthmore registered its first-ever season sweep of F&M last winter, including an 88-83 overtime win that snapped a seven-game losing streak at Mayser Center. Kathryn Stockbower is second in the CC in scoring (17.4) and first in rebounding (13.6) for the Garnet, while the Diplomats are second in the Conference in field goal percentage defense (.328). Watch LIVE!

Gettysburg vs. Washington and Lee (Wrestling)
The Conference dual-meet schedule gets underway as the Bullets (0-0, 1-1) tangle with the Generals (0-0, 1-0). The day's best match could come at 165 between Gettysburg's Dan Grabfelder (13-8, 8 falls) and W&L's David Dennis (8-5). Freshman 174 Jared Leon has the Bullets' top record at 16-7, while rookie 197-pounder Jordan Yost leads W&L with a 7-2 mark.