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NCAA DIVISION III BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS

Colby women earn at-large bid, will host regional

BY TRAVIS LAZARCZYK Staff Writer

WATERVILLE -- March Madness is coming to Waterville.

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Staff photos by David Leaming WE’RE IN: Colby College women’s basketball players (from left)Jayde Bennett, Jacky McLaughlin, Kelly Potvin, Aarika Ritchie and Julianne Kowalski celebrate Monday after learning the Mules were selected to play in the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament. Colby will host Husson on Friday.

David Leaming

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The Colby College women's basketball team earned its first ever trip to the NCAA Division III tournament, and the Mules (23-4) will host a four-team regional this weekend. Colby will take on Husson (19-8) at Wadsworth Gymnasium at 7 p.m. Friday. Emmanuel (22-5) will face Babson (25-3) at 5 p.m. in the night's first game. Friday's winners will play at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for students. There will be no presale and doors will open an hour before the first game each day.

This is the first NCAA tournament selection for the Mules.

"We worked really hard to put ourselves in a position where we felt good going into (Monday's) selection. I'm so proud at where this program was and how far we've come, and I think that these girls deserve all the fanfare and support," Colby head coach Lori Gear McBride said. "To play at home is kind of the culmination of that work, and it's great."

In all, Maine will be represented by six teams in the NCAA Division III men's and women's basketball tournament. The University of Maine at Farmington (14-11) men's basketball team earned a spot with its North Atlantic Conference title, and it will play at Bridgewater (Mass.) State in the first round at 7 p.m. Thursday.

It's been more than a decade since UMF played Bridgewater State, Beavers coach Dick Meader said.

"The last time we ever played them we lost in overtime," Meader said. "They're usually pretty quick, they play good defense."

Joining Colby in the women's tournament are Husson, the University of Southern Maine, Bowdoin and the University of New England. Colby played all four this season, going 5-1 against the tough in-state competition.

"Honestly, that's what helped prepare us for our conference and helps you get into the tournament, when you have that kind of strength of schedule," Gear McBride said.

With a record of 19-6, the Colby men's team was on the bubble, but was not selected for the 61-team men's field. Colby was third in the New England Small College Athletic Conference, but only Williams and Middlebury were selected from the league.

After finishing runner-up to Amherst -- the undefeated No. 1 team in the country -- in the New England Small College Athletic Conference tournament, the Colby women appeared to be a lock for the tournament, but they didn't take anything for granted.

"The boys were on the bubble, and they didn't make it. So after hearing that, I was like, I really just wanted to see it. I wasn't going to believe anything until I actually saw it," Colby senior co-captain Alison Cappelloni said.

The Madness actually started shortly after 12:30 Monday afternoon. The Mules gathered in Colby's trophy room to watch the selection show, and after watching the first few minutes in silence, the room erupted when Colby's name appeared on the screen.

"It's just so exciting. It's such an accomplishment. Especially hosting, it's awesome to be able to host," Cappelloni said.

Cappelloni has seen the Mules climb from the bottom of the NESCAC. As a freshman, Cappelloni was on a team that went 6-17. Colby's 23 wins so far this season ties a school record.

"Freshman year, we didn't even make NESCAC playoffs. We've worked hard. Coach has brought in a lot of great recruits and a lot of great players. We just clawed away at a lot of wins this year and it's really paid off," said Cappelloni, who leads the Mules in scoring (12.4 points per game), and has a school-record 59 3-pointers this season.

While only two NESCAC teams made the men's field, the selection committee gave five spots to the NESCAC women. That's half the conference. Top-ranked Amherst joined Colby, along with Bowdoin, Tufts and Williams.

"I think that's pretty unheard of in any conference in Division III," Gear McBride said. "But it also speaks to the level of competitiveness of our conference, and how good you had to be, night in and night out in our league."

By winning the North Atlantic Conference and earning a spot in the tournament, the UMF men pulled off an amazing turnaround. The Beavers started the season against a tough non-conference schedule by going 0-8, before reeling off a 12-2 mark in the league.

"We knew it was going to be a tough start," Meader said. "We were playing very good teams that were playing very well at the time."

Bowdoin (20-8) was also chosen as a women's tournament host, and will take on Baruch (23-5) in the first round. Joining the Polar Bears in Brunswick will be UNE (23-5), which will play Western Connecticut (22-5). USM (20-8) will take on RPI (17-10) in Amherst, Mass.

For USM, this is 16th consecutive season in the tournament. It's the 10th consecutive tournament for Bowdoin.

Unlike the Colby women, the UMF men did not get together for the selection show. There was no bubble for the Beavers, who knew they were in.

Colby, on the other hand, had some nervousness, not just in the trophy room but around the country. Cappelloni said her father, Albert Cappelloni, planned to skip a lunch meeting in Boston to watch the selection show online.

"He's been a superfan. I think maybe he's missed two or three games over four years," Cappelloni said. "He's been there every step of the way. I think he's as proud of the program as I am."

Travis Lazarczyk -- 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com