In just her second season as the women’s head coach, Lauren Hall-Gregory is leading the Violets to the NCAA tournament pool of 64.
CAS freshman and guard Kaitlyn Read said the Violets received news of their tournament bid on March 3 and were thrilled.
“A few of us got together and watched the live broadcast announcing the bracket and were so happy when we heard our name called,” Read said.
The women ended their regular season with an outstanding record of 20 wins and five losses. In the UAA Conference, the Violets placed second, only falling short behind Washington University in St. Louis, with a conference record of 9-5. The women have not been to the NCAA tournament since the 2008-09 season, when they advanced to the Sweet 16 round.
Read said the team’s re-entry into the tournament may be difficult.
“The biggest challenge we face going into the tournament is maybe our inexperience,” Read said. “Most people on the team have not been to the tournament yet, so not all of us are sure of exactly what to expect.”
The dynamic of the team and the athleticism they showed in both their offensive and defensive game have validated their NCAA bid.
The women will be travelling to Medford, Mass., this Friday and facing off against the University of New England, champions of the Commonwealth Coast Conference. Tufts University will host the NCAA matchup.
Read and CAS sophomore and forward Megan Dawe were named with All-UAA honors.
“It feels amazing to be recognized and honored for the hard work Kaitlyn and I have put in all season,” Dawe said. “I’m excited to see what the next few years will bring, but right now, we are just getting ready for the first round of the NCAA tournament this weekend.”
Meanwhile, the NYU men’s team received a postseason Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Metro Championship tournament bid on Monday for the second year in a row. The team traveled to Hoboken, N.J., Wednesday in the first round where they faced the Stevens Institute of Technology. However, the team lost 69-86.
SCPS sophomore and center Costas Gontikas explained the team’s 17-point deficit loss.
“Our transition defense wasn’t great, and we lost focus down the stretch,” Gontikas said.
The men’s team finished out their regular season with an overall record of 16-9, placing fourth within the UAA conference with a record of 6-8.
Along with the ECAC D-III tournament bid, three of the men’s team finest were honored with All-UAA Honors. LS sophomore and forward Evan Kupferberg, CAS senior and point guard Ryan Tana and Gontikas were all notified Monday of their UAA accolades.
Coach Joseph Nesci applauded the players’ accomplishment.
“The coaching staff and players are proud of the UAA honors Ryan, Evan and Costis received,” Nesci sad. “All three were well deserved.”
A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, March 6 print edition. Francisco Navas is sports editor. Michelle Tran is a staff writer. Email them at [email protected].