Four Teams Ready For Basketball Championships
MADISON, N.J. - Two upsets in the men's semifinals and the favorites holding court on the women's side have left two institutions in the running for the inaugural Landmark Conference Basketball Championships. The University of Scranton will host Juniata College in both the women's and men's Landmark Basketball Championships Saturday in Scranton, Pa. The women's game will tip-off at 5 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $5 for adults for either one or both games; $3 for children, students, and senior citizens for one or both games. Landmark Conference students with ID and children under 10 are free.
In the women's postseason top-seed Scranton defeated fourth seed United States Merchant Marine Academy in the semifinals to earn the right to host. Juniata is the second seed and knocked off third seed Moravian College in a tight back-and-forth semifinal.
Scranton swept the two regular-season meetings between the two teams, winning 71-66 in overtime at Juniata and 73-54 in Scranton. After dropping their first conference game of the season, the Royals did not lose again in conference play and finished the regular season 19-5 overall and 13-1 in Landmark play. Scranton is currently on a 14-game winning streak, having last lost on Jan. 8. Scranton leads the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 55.9 points per game. Senior Kathleen Daly was picked as the Landmark Player of the Year, and was a first-team All-Conference choice. Freshman Megan Kopecki was the Landmark Rookie of the Year and she and Daly are both averaging more than 10 points per game.
Juniata outlasted Moravian in the semifinals on a late basket from freshman Jen Hnatuck who was a second-team All-Landmark selection. The Eagles are 18-8 overall and 10-4 in Landmark and are back in the conference postseason for the first time since the 2001-02 season. Senior Claudia McDowell and junior Kelly Ashcraft were both first-team All-Conference and join with Hnatuck to all average more than 12 points per game. Hnatuck is also the leading rebounder in the conference. Juniata is 8-4 in road games on the season and has won 10 of its past 12 games going into the championship.
On the men's side Scranton is the third seed and earned the right to host the final after upsetting second-seed Moravian 79-78 in the semifinals. The Royals will get a third meeting with fourth- seed Juniata which knocked off top seed Susquehanna 77-49 in the other semifinal. Juniata and Scranton split its two regular season meetings, with each team winning on its home court.
Scranton trailed for nearly all of its semifinal game against Moravian but took its first lead with 1:34 remaining in the game and held on for the win. Scranton started the season 0-3 in conference play, but has gotten hot to close the year as the Royals have won 11 of their past 13 games to improve to 18-8 and 9-5 in conference. The team features one of the top inside-outside combinations in the conference with senior guard Randy Arnold and senior center Tom Bicknell both having been picked as first-team All-Conference performers. Bicknell is averaging a double-double, while Arnold averages 11.2 points per game and leads the team in assists. Freshman Zach Ashworth was a second-team All-Conference pick.
Juniata did something it was unable to do twice during the regular season when it defeated Susquehanna in the conference semifinals. The win raised Juniata's record to 17-9 on the season and the team is 9-5 in Landmark play. The Eagles will be appearing in a conference championship game for the second-straight season after going nearly 10 years without a postseason berth. Juniata also features a formidable inside-outside duo as seniors Brian Cannon and Kyle Opitz were both named second-team All-Conference. Cannon is second in the conference in scoring and fifth in rebounding, while Opitz is among the conference leaders in three pointers made and three-point field goal percentage.
In its first season of competition the Landmark Conference has already awarded championships in 10 sports. Scranton and Juniata have combined to win five of those championships.