HILBERT TO FACE NO. 6 MESSIAH IN NCAA TOURNAMENT; PENN ST. ALTOONA EARNS FIRST-EVER ECAC TOURNAMENT BERTH

The Hilbert College women's basketball team will travel to Grantham, Pa. for the First Round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament this Friday. 

Hilbert (22-5) will face the hosts, Messiah College (26-1) at 7:00 pm on March 1. The opening game will feature RIT (20-7) and Baldwin Wallace (19-7) in a 5:00 pm tip.

The winners from Friday's games will play in the Second Round on Saturday at 6:00 pm.

This is Hilbert's second postseason appearance as the Hawks also earned the AMCC's automatic bid last February.

A year ago, as the regular season champions, the Hawks went 2-0 in the postseason at home which gave the athletics department its very first AMCC Championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Hilbert suffered a 61-42 defeat at the hands of The College of New Jersey March 2, 2018 and closed the season at 21-7. 

The 2018-19 Hawks (22-5) completed the regular season with a 15-3 league record, but dropped to #2 seed in the tourney due to a tiebreaker rule.  Hilbert traveled to Pittsburgh, Pa. swept Pitt-Bradford and Penn State Behrend and claimed their second AMCC title and second automatic bid.

The Hawks will battle the hosts who are ranked No. 6 in the most recent Women's Basketball Coaches Association Poll, enter the Tournament with a 26-1 record and currently hold a 26-game win streak.

In addition to Hilbert advancing in the postseason, the Penn State Altoona women’s basketball team has been chosen to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference’s Division III Championship Tournament, as the conference announced its postseason field of 13 teams on Monday afternoon.

The Lady Lions will travel to Washington, Pa. to face Washington & Jefferson College in a first round game this Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. It will mark the first-ever ECAC Tournament appearance by the Penn State Altoona women’s basketball program. 

Penn State Altoona posted a 12-12 record in the regular season, registering the most wins in a season since the program tallied 20 victories in 2009-10. The Lady Lions went 10-8 in conference play, earning the fourth seed in the AMCC Tournament and losing 67-60 to Penn State Behrend in the first round.

Washington & Jefferson is coming off of a regular season during which it compiled an 18-7 overall record. The Presidents went 13-3 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, securing the second seed in the PAC Tournament. After a 54-43 victory over Grove City College in the semifinal round, Washington & Jefferson lost 70-48 to Saint Vincent College in the PAC championship game.