2/26/08

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.—Lycoming College’s men’s basketball team (16-9, 7-3) hosts Lebanon Valley College (11-14, 5-5) in a Commonwealth Conference semi-final playoff game on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. at Lamade Gymnasium. Lycoming is the No. 1 seed in the tournament, while Lebanon Valley is the No. 4 seed.

The Warriors won the regular-season Commonwealth championship with a seven-game winning streak that lasted until the final game of the year. Lebanon Valley defeated Lycoming 72-68 on Feb. 19 to close the season. In their previous meeting, Lycoming won a thrilling 79-75 double overtime victory on Feb. 5 at LVC Gymnasium.

Sophomore Eric Anthony leads the Warriors with 14.9 points per game, which ranks fourth in the Commonwealth. Junior Greg Sye is third in the conference with a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game. Lycoming leads the league in successful 3-point shots, hitting 7.32 per contest.

The Commonwealth championship game will be held on Saturday, March 1 in the highest-seeded semi-final winner’s gym. The champion will get an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.

The Warriors last won their conference tournament in 2003-04 during head coach Don Friday’s first year at Lycoming. This is the Warriors first season in the Commonwealth arm of the Middle Atlantic Conference, having previously played in the MAC’s Freedom Conference.

Friday graduated from Lebanon Valley in 1990 and immediately began his coaching career as an assistant with the Flying Dutchmen. Friday was on
staff for Lebanon Valley’s NCAA Division III National Championship season in 1993-94.