WARRIOR MEN’S BASKETBALL READY TO COMPETE IN NCAA PLAYOFFS

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The Lycoming College men’s basketball team will travel to Gettysburg College, Thursday evening, for a first-round match-up in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. It will be the Warriors’ third appearance in the NCAA playoffs in the program’s 54-year history. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for senior citizens and students, and free for children under five years of age. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The game will also be broadcast by Ken Sawyer and Tom Losch on WRAK-AM (1400).

Lycoming enters the game with a season-record of 19-7. The Warriors qualified for the NCAA tournament by winning the Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference championship over King’s College, 72-64, last Saturday. The Bullets have a mark of 20-6 and qualified for the national playoffs by winning the Centennial Conference championship, last Saturday, over Franklin & Marshall 50-47.

Lycoming is led by MAC Freedom Conference MVP Tommy Wesner (Jr./Dillsburg, PA; Northern). Wesner averages 16.9 points per game in large part due to his team-high 87 three-pointers on the season. He also shoots 81% from the free-throw line, pulls down 4.2 rebounds per contest, and has tallied 67 assists and 42 steals this year.

Senior forward Chris Napier (Port Jervis, NY; Minisink Valley), a first-team conference all-star, is also a major offensive threat for the Warriors scoring 15.5 points per contest. He also averages 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 73% from the charity stripe.

Sophomore Matt Stackhouse (Hughesville, PA; Hughesville) has become a major presence in the paint for Lycoming. The 6’7” center is scoring 13.4 points per contest while grabbing a team-high 8.6 rebounds per outing. Stackhouse, named a second-team conference all-star, has also recorded 48 blocked shots this year and is just one shy of breaking the program’s single-season record.

Jason Black (Sr./Duncannon, PA; Susquenita) is Lycoming’s fourth player averaging double-digits in scoring with 11.0 markers per game. Black led the squad with 27 points, including five three-pointers, in the Freedom Conference championship game. He also leads the squad with 80 assists.

The Warriors typically go four-deep on their bench with senior Rob Johnson (Bradley Beach, NJ; Manasquan), sophomore LJ Huggler (St. Mary’s, PA; St. Mary’s), and freshmen Curtin Mays (Philadelphia, PA; University City) and Matt Spears (Shamokin, PA; Shamokin) each providing valuable minutes.

Lycoming is directed by second-year head coach Terry Conrad who was named Freedom Conference Coach-of-the-Year earlier this week. The Warriors have won eight of their last nine games and are averaging 77.3 points per game while allowing 71.7.

Gettysburg plays a decidedly different style of basketball than Lycoming. The Bullets prefer a low-scoring contest as evidenced by their 70 points-per-game average and 63.8 points allowed per outing. They are led by a pair of first-team All-Centennial selections – Curtis McNeil and Terence Callahan.

McNeil is averaging 17 points per game and leads the team with 63 triples. He also shoots 80.6% from the free-throw line. Callahan pours in 13.8 points per contest while leading the squad with 80 assists on the year. He also grabs 3.9 boards per outing and has hit 49 three-pointers.

Jim Natale, David Glaser, and John Schnebly round out the Bullets’ starting five. Natale leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 5.3 boards per game while scoring eight points per contest. Glaser chips in 6.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per outing, while Schnebly contributes 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds. Gettysburg will play as many as five players off the bench, including: Kevin Boyle, Cody Bowers, Dami Oloruntoba, Brad Billmeier, and Antoine Gaither.

The winner of Thursday night’s game will advance to face Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, on Saturday evening.

Notes: The all-time series between Gettysburg and Lycoming is tied at 5-5. The Warriors have won the past two meetings. … Lycoming is 6-6 on the road this season; Gettysburg is 11-1 at home … Jason Black needs just 16 points to reach 1,000 for his career … The Warriors are 18-4 when they score 70 or more points; 1-3 when they score less … Lycoming is 10-2 when leading at halftime, 9-4 when trailing at the half, and 0-1 when tied at intermission.