cwdickens

UALBANY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Danes embrace moment UAlbany opens the WNIT with a road contest at Colgate By Michael Kelly WNIT FIRST ROUND: UALBANY AT COLGATE When: 6 p.m. Thursday Where: Cotterell Court, Hamilton, NY Stream: ESPN+ Jim Franco/Times Union UAlbany coach Colleen Mullen says her program has an expectation of playing in the postseason. ALBANY — Colleen Mullen knows Colgate, a rebuilding women’s basketball program making its first appearance in a national postseason tournament since 2004, will be ready for Thursday night’s game. The coach is confident, too, that her UAlbany players feel the same way about the chance to extend their season despite the disappointment they experienced earlier this month with their loss in the America East Conference semifinals. “I think our players are really grateful for the opportunity and excited to continue to play together,” Mullen said a night ahead of the Great Danes’ Women’s National Invitation Tournament first-round game at 6 p.m. Thursday at Wesley M. Cotterell Court in Hamilton. “For (graduate students) Helene (Haegerstrand) and Sarah (Karpell), their careers are done once we’re done, so this is it for them, and I think there’s a lot of urgency for all of them to continue this great season.” For much of the 2023-24 season, UAlbany appeared on track to make another trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Great Danes didn’t lose any games in December and January, and were 22-3 before a 3-3 finish to the conference season and postseason. UAlbany was the No. 2 seed for the America East playoffs, but fell in the semifinals to a Vermont squad that swept all three games from the Great Danes this season. Maine defeated Vermont in the America East final to earn the America East’s spot in the NCAA Tournament. Like UAlbany, Vermont is in the WNIT. For UAlbany (25-6), this year’s postseason bid is the second consecutive one to the WNIT after the Great Danes played in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. In all, this season’s spot in the WNIT marks the program’s 10th trip to a national postseason tournament. “It’s an expectation that we’re in at this point,” said Mullen, who is in her sixth season with UAlbany. For Colgate (18-13) of the Patriot League, this season marked a solid step forward. Colgate put together its second consecutive winning season for coach Ganiyat Adeduntan after the program had only had one winning season since it won the Patriot League in 2004. At 12.1 points per game, junior guard Taylor Golembiewski leads Colgate in scoring. Four Raiders average at least nine points per game and the team is 11-6 on its home court. “They’ve had quite the season,” Mullen said. “For their players ... there’s a lot of urgency and excitement to play in the postseason. We’re going to see a really talented, engaged team — and a great defensive team.” UAlbany and Colgate scrimmaged during the 2023-24 preseason, and played in each of the prior two seasons. The Great Danes topped Colgate 60-39 on Dec. 5, 2021and lost to the Raiders 55-41on Nov.19, 2022. “So our players certainly understand the level of talent we’re facing, as well as their desire,” Mullen said. Kayla Cooper, a senior standout who said she’ll return next season to utilize her final year of eligibility, leads the Great Danes this season at 15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Among the program’s 10 players, five are averaging at least eight points per game. This season, UAlbany leads the nation in scoring defense at 50.9 points per game. The Great Danes’ formula of relying on Cooper and their defense gave them a chance this season to chase after an America East championship. Mullen said the team took a bit of time to recover mentally from its March 11 conference postseason loss, but that she likes the way her team moved forward following that disappointment. “Then, it was time to pivot,” Mullen said. “This is a new opportunity to compete for a championship.”

If I remember correctly, from Broadview Center, once on US Route 20, travel 90 or so miles, take a left on NY State 12B and head into Hamilton NY go past the frat houses and the athletic facilities are on the right along with parking. Mar 21 (Thu) 6:00 PM at Colgate First Round Hamilton, NY ESPN+ Live Stats Tickets Preview History

If you read my comment, I tried Marquette improvement to the change of head coach...

From Inside Lacrosse, according to Virgina HC Lars Tiffany, the best player on the field was UAlbany's Jake Piseno from an Instagram posting: insidelacrosse @jakepiseno’s stat line from yesterday: 4GB, 3CT, 2G, ☝️ all-around excellent performance from No. 88 — and the opposing HC took notice. 👀🤩 (📸 @ualbanymlax | 📺 ESPN+)

I think people do care however at least three things prevent his firing: Concern(s) will be raised by the same community group that interceded on Killings behalf two years ago. The cost of paying Killings on the reminder of his contract. The fear of having to start from scratch, new coach and recruiting a whole new team. I keep thinking, how much better Marquette has gotten each year since they fire their head coach and Killings leaving. Marquette is a Two Seed.

MARCH MATCHNESS STARTS NOW! March Matchness is your opportunity to magnify your impact on the athletic programs closest to you! For the next week alumni, parents, friends, and our dedicated faculty and staff will join forces to support UAlbany students. Double or triple your impact! March Matchness (March 20-28) features matching gifts from generous donors to our athletic programs. So, every $20 equals $40. Add in the Pepsi Challenge and your gift makes 3x the impact on UAlbany student-athletes! Give to what you love, and it will be matched! Make a gift to the programs closest to you, between March 20 and March 28, and follow the leaderboard to see if they're leading the way! Make Your Gift Today! Athletics March Matchness Giving Page Follow along and support your favorite programs!

The annual March Campaign has began: Some examples are: ualbanymlax UAlbany lacrosse fans, we need YOUR HELP! 🗣️ It's March Matchness and every dollar donated over the next week could be matched twice! Triple the impact 💪 Help us reach our goal of $5,000 by donating now - just visit the link in our bio! 🔗 ualbanyfootball Alright Purple Fam, we need you... 🫵 It's March Matchness, and from now until the 28th any gift you make to the program could be matched TWICE! It's an important time for our program, and we NEED your help - help us reach our goal!!! Donate now by visiting the link in our bio 🔗 ualbany_mbb March Matchness is upon us! 🤑 We need your help in reaching our $5,000 goal - where your gifts could be TRIPLED x3️⃣ Everything donated goes directly to giving our student-athletes the best experience possible! 👏 Let's do it! ➡️ Link in bio 🔗

LOL, six $iena WBB players have entered the portal. There is Times Union article about the potential departures, including their best player.

My question: Where are these student-athletes going to come from and why would they come here? Our overall and conference record for the last three is not compelling and Killings has only two years left (not a concern for someone coming via the portal). Any student athlete who watches our conference games from mid-January forward will identify concerns for the ability to contribute, particularly offensive scoring.

However, with these concerns about defense, my question: How did we hold Virginia to 3 goals in the first half, as much as it is stopping goals, we need to be able to score more goals and prevent big runs. Virgina is the three-rank team in country for a reason, we did ourselves proud. To the nick pickers, you always find your way here and take your shot at our athletes.

3-3 at the half, Virginia announcers impressed by UAlbany play.

Based on previous reactions about WLAX, surprised anyone notice, except for you.

UALBANY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Danes’ journey starts on road By Pete Dougherty and Michael Kelly Jim Franco/Times Union archive UAlbany’s Meghan Huerter and the Danes will play at Colgate. A win would mean the Danes would play Huerter’s former school, Providence. Jim Franco/Times Union archive UAlbany coach Colleen Mullen said Danes’ first-round WNIT foe Colgate has a lot of threats. Four players average nine points per game or more. For the University at Albany women’s basketball program, its Women’s National Invitational Tournament first-round opponent is certainly a familiar one. UAlbany found out Monday evening that it will travel to play Thursday against Colgate of the Patriot League. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. between the programs that played in 2021-22 and 2022-23. “We actually scrimmaged them this year, too,” said UAlbany coach Colleen Mullen, whose Great Danes topped Colgate 60-39 on Dec. 5, 2021and lost to the Raiders 55-41 on Nov. 19, 2022. At 25-6, the Danes have the best winning percentage (.806) of any team in the 48-team WNIT. Northern Arizona (25-9) of the Big Sky Conference is the only other team with as many victories as UAlbany. Colgate is18-13 after losing in the Patriot League semifinals. The Raiders are11-6 this season on their home Wesley M. Cotterell Court in Hamilton. “They’ve got some really tough seniors and some good scorers,” Mullen said. “They’re well-coached. They have a lot of threats.” At12.1points per game, junior guard Taylor Golembiewski leads Colgate in scoring. Four Raiders average at least nine points per game. UAlbany played the majority of its season with 10 players, and Mullen said she expects each of those Danes to be available to play Thursday. The sixth-year coach said her program had no players enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opened Monday, and that the Danes “are anticipating everyone coming back” who has remaining eligibility for next season. The Danes lost a first-round WNIT matchup to Massachusetts 74-49 last season. They also made the WNIT field in 2018 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament seven times (2012 through 2017, and 2022). The 2024 WNIT field features 11 automatic qualifiers and 37 at-large selections. There are six teams with losing records who accepted bids: Butler (14-16) and Providence (13-20) of the Big East, Cincinnati (14-17) of the Big 12, Purdue (13-18) and Wisconsin (13-16) of the Big Ten, and St. Louis (16-18) of the Atlantic 10. Half of the tournament’s field won at least 20 games. With a win against Colgate, UAlbany will play one of those teams with a losing record. The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to play Providence, a matchup that would send UAlbany junior guard Meghan Huerter to play against the program with which she started her college career. Thirty-two teams will play first-round games, while the other 16 received first-round byes. Second-round games will be played between Saturday and next Tuesday (March 26). The third round is scheduled for March 27-29, the quarterfinals March 30-April 1, the semifinals April 2-3 and the championship game Saturday, April 6, on CBS Sports Network. All games in the tournament are played at campus sites. The teams that made last year’s title game, Kansas and Columbia, are in this season’s NCAA Tournament field. The WNIT is somewhat watered down because of the NCAA’s creation of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament. Even with the WNIT reduced from 64 to 48 teams, there will be 148 women’s basketball teams in postseason play. “So much has changed in the world of women’s basketball, but the Postseason WNIT is proud to be a trusted destination for dozens of programs that recognize our commitment to respecting the sport, and how we have been unwavering in that goal for 26 years,” Sarah Molina, director of the Postseason WNIT, said in a statement. “We look forward to igniting the spark the event provides to programs ready to embrace the experience — time and again we’ve seen success in the Postseason WNIT lead to great things down the road.” WNIT: UALBANY AT COLGATE When: 6 p.m. Thursday Where: Reid Athletic Center, Hamilton

Syracuse WLAX is 5-3 having lost to Stony Brook (in O/T), Maryland and Northwestern. The game is available on the ESPN app for streaming. Mar 19 (Tue) 3:00 PM at Syracuse Syracuse, N.Y. ACCNX Live Stats Preview Game Notes History

I did check and this game is available for streaming on the ESPN app. UALBANY MEN’S LACROSSE Danes to get stern test taking on No. 3 Virginia By Mark Singelais Jim Franco/Times Union archive UAlbany men’s lacrosse coach Scott Marr leads his team into third-ranked Virginia on Tuesday. The Great Danes are coming off two straight victories. The University at Albany men’s lacrosse team is learning how to win with back-to-back victories after an 0-4 start. The young Great Danes (2-4) will get a lesson Tuesday on how to compete against one of the nation’s top programs. They take on third-ranked Virginia (6-1), a seven-time NCAA champion, at 4 p.m. in Charlottesville, Va. “Just compete and to play with confidence and not to shy away from things,” said UAlbany coach Scott Marr, asked what he’d like to see aside from an upset victory. “Obviously, they’re a very, very talented team, a very athletic team, so we’re going to have to play our very best to be in the game. But again, I’ve been a part of a lot of upsets over the years.” UAlbany has road wins over Johns Hopkins, Maryland and Syracuse, to name a few, during Marr’s 24 seasons. The Great Danes have played Virginia just once before. The Cavaliers prevailed 23-9 in an NCAA Tournament first-round game in Charlottesville in 2005. UAlbany began this season with three one-goal losses in its first four matches before beating Hobart 14-10 and UMass Lowell 19-8 last Saturday in the America East Conference opener. “We’re just playing better, though,” Marr said. “We’re making way fewer mistakes.” He said UAlbany is making its scrimmages “more game-like” in practice. “We’re just growing in confidence, too,” Marr said. “We have so many young kids that are playing. They needed to learn how to win. It’s good that they got that Hobart win when Hobart came back and made it a game. … Then last Saturday’s game, we just got off to a great start and didn’t take the foot off the gas.” With UAlbany in spring break, Marr felt comfortable taking his team on a long road trip to Virginia, even with a home match looming against league foe Vermont next Saturday. “We’re on spring break, and it kind of gave us something, a little trip, a little bonding together,” Marr said. “Being together for a couple of days, and getting out of town for a couple of days, too, which is not always the worst thing in the world. … It’s a huge challenge, then we’ve got to come back and get readjusted after a long ride home. But they’re 18 to 23 years old.” Marr worked under Virginia coach Lars Tiffany on the coaching staff of the Haudenosaunee Nationals, a Native American team, at last summer’s world championships in San Diego. Virginia came to UAlbany’s Casey Stadium last spring and beat Georgetown in an NCAA quarterfinal. The Cavaliers are still led by graduate attack Connor Shellenberger, who has 16 goals and 21 assists. Graduate attack Payton Cormier has 25 goals. Sophomore attack Silas Richmond paces UAlbany with 14 goals and five assists. Graduate attack Graydon Hogg and freshman attack Ryan Doherty have eight goals each. UALBANY AT VIRGINIA When: 4 p.m. Tuesday Where: Klockner Stadium, Charlottesville, Va. TV: ACCN

2024 WNIT first round matchups Here is a link to the bracket: 2024 WNIT Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament (womensnit.com)

Lilly Phillips's parents will be in the house.

This week's poll is in from Inside Lacrosse: Check out the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.

Perhaps, team are skipping the NIT (and the CI or CIT) is the requirement to pay a hosting fee for a first-round game. Can anyone name of last year's NIT Tournament Winner? (No Cheating) The NIT importance continues to shrink. Under the right circumstances, 1 or 2 games against DII/DIII when you have a balance mixture of OOC schools. Yes, the potential of losing badly to Power 5 Conference team is hard thing to accept, yet it comes with the potential of an upset win.

Not our first trip to Charlottesville, as I clearly recall a trip to Charlottesville for a 1st round NCAA match-up, did not begin or end well for UAlbany. This time, I am hoping the Cavaliers have a letdown after their win over Maryland on Saturday. Game is available via ACCNX and perhaps ESPN+ Mar 19 (Tue) 4:00 PM at #3 Virginia Charlottesville, Va. Live Stats History

Men's Lacrosse St. Patrick's Day Offer! Gold Level Seats for our Final 3 Home Games! Jump on the Dane Train for America East Conference play! Grab this LIMITED TIME offer and receive a game ticket to our final 3 home games! The Great Danes will welcome conference opponents Vermont (3/23), Bryant (4/6), and Binghamton (4/27) to Casey Stadium. Watch all 3 games from the best seats in the house for just $60! Offer must be purchased by midnight on Tuesday, March 19. PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Softball Splits Final Day in Baltimore

Baseball Falls at Georgetown 0-13 to start....

Men’s Lacrosse Cruises to First Conference Win

I did not experience the same frustration as I did not watch the game, other family priorities. Further, looking at the UMass-Lowell record, I figure that we could overwhelm the RiverHawks. Checked LiveStats, which confirmed my thoughts.