The best time of the year for sports fans is here. The doldrums of February are about to be replaced by the college basketball excitement that is March Madness.
One of the first tournaments is the Patriot League, and the AU Women will take their recent string of strong play up to Worcester, Mass., to play Navy in the first round.
The Eagles lost twice to Navy this year, including a season-ending, 49-46 heartbreaker Saturday.
"We had 15 chances to win that game, and we just couldn't make the game-winning play," said Eagles head coach Melissa McFerrin.
Despite that loss, McFerrin said she likes the Eagles' chances against a Navy team without much offensive firepower. AU will depend on its six seniors, led by forward Chanel Hunt and guard Joanna Barnes, to take the team to the promised land.
"This team will only go as far as our six seniors take us," McFerrin said.
Expect the Eagles to use a short bench, probably only bringing in Hunt (who plays starters' minutes), junior forward Abby Lipskis and senior guard Angel Jordan to give their starters a breather. Reserves like freshman forward Natalie Walker and freshman guard Katie Hirschler probably won't be first options.
In case you're not acquainted with the match-ups, here they are and how they play out.
First round:
(1) Holy Cross vs. (8) Lafayette - If Lafayette gets within 20 of Holy Cross, I'll be shocked. Lafayette improved over last year, but it's nowhere near the caliber of Holy Cross. Expect Lisa Andrews and Maggie Fontana to give the Crusaders an unstoppable one-two punch and easily push them into the semifinals.
Prediction: Holy Cross 86, Lafayette 52
(4) American vs. (5) Navy - Even though the Eagles came up short against Navy twice, a good, veteran team with solid coaching will not lose three times to a lesser opponent. Hunt will reassert herself as one of the PL's best, and Barnes will be the old reliable. Navy will hang for a while, but the Eagles' veteran leadership will pull them through.
Prediction: American 63, Navy 55
(2) Lehigh vs. (7) Bucknell - There is no one in Bethlehem, Pa., happy to see the Bison coming to town. This has upset written all over it. The inside-outside combo of Lindsey Hollobaugh and Brooke Tomovich shows that Bucknell can beat anyone on any night. McFerrin calls the Bison the most dangerous team in the tournament, and they'll score an early upset over the favored Mountain Hawks.
Prediction: Bucknell, 76, Lehigh 73
(3) Army vs. (6) Colgate - No PL game could be more boring. The Raiders and Black Knights combine to play torturous-to-watch stuff, but Army head coach Sherry Abbey-Nowatzki has her Cadets playing well. Cara Enright is the best player in the game. She'll be the difference.
Prediction: Army 55, Colgate 45
Second round:
(1) Holy Cross vs. (4) American - I want to believe AU can pull this off, and I believe there's a chance. But in order for the Eagles to knock off the Crusaders, everything will have to go their way. Expect the offense to run through Hunt, with Salem and Lispkis getting looks inside trying to get Andrews in foul trouble. If AU senior point guard Damarah Rhymer can dominate Sara Placek, the Eagles have a chance. I just don't see it happening.
Prediction: Holy Cross 70, American 63
(7) Bucknell vs. (3) Army - Bucknell is so dangerous. Coming off an underachieving season and playing motivated ball, the Bison are primed for a run. Expect Hope Foster, the freshman sensation, to be the difference in the win.
Prediction: Bucknell 68, Army 59
Final:
(1) Holy Cross vs. (7) Bucknell - For some reason, these two always seem to be in the final. Bucknell's magic will run out. Andrews and Tomovich will have a real nice battle inside, but Fontana's leadership will be the difference.
Prediction: Holy Cross 73, Bucknell 65
But don't fret AU fans, because the Eagles are peaking at the perfect time, and McFerrin truly believes in her team and its ability to turn it on in the PL tournament.
"We won't have a problem motivating the girls and we're ready for our run," said the first-year coach. "Our seniors are ready to lead this team."
With no dominant team, a strong week could land the Eagles in the tournament they really want to play in.
