Purple Knights News

February 22, 2007

Basketball Squads Set For Playoff Action This Weekend


COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's and women's basketball teams will take part in First Round Northeast-10 Conference Tournament action this weekend, the first time that both squads have made the postseason in the same season since the 1998-99 campaign.

The Saint Michael's men's basketball team (15-12 overall, 12-10 NE-10) is the sixth seed in the NE-10 Tournament, and will host 11th-seeded Assumption College (11-16, 9-13) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Ross Sports Center. The game marks the Purple Knights' first men's basketball playoff game since 2002, and the program's first home playoff contest since winning the NE-10 Tournament in 2001.

The Saint Michael's women's basketball team (11-15, 8-14) is the 10th seed in the NE-10 Tournament, and will visit seventh seeded Bryant University (18-9, 14-8) on Sunday for a 2 p.m. contest.

Tickets for the men's game are $6 for adults and $3 for students with valid identification, children age 12 and under, and seniors age 65 and over, and can be purchased by calling 802-654-2500. Tickets can also be purchased at the ticket booth on game day, with the doors opening at noon for the 1 p.m. game.

The Saint Michael's men, led by 10th-year head coach Tom O'Shea, earned an 87-76 home win versus Assumption on Jan. 11, 2007, the lone meeting between the two teams this season. The Purple Knights are led on the court by senior Brendan Mullins (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South), the conference's leading scorer at 18.8 points per game, and junior Brian Monahan (Kinderhook, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy), the league's leading rebounder at 10.2 boards per conest.

The Purple Knight women, guided by fourth-year head coach Jen Niebling, have qualified for the postseason in four of the last five seasons, but are seeking their first playoff win since the 1991-92 season. Saint Michael's, which dropped a 78-73 decision to Bryant on Feb. 14, is led by senior Jevy Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) and her team high averages of 12.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

With a win this weekend, both teams would travel to face the College of Saint Rose in the NE-10 Quarterfinals. The Purple Knight men would take on the Golden Knights on Monday at 7 p.m., while the Saint Michael's women would visit Saint Rose on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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