Boston, MA- The Men's and Women's Basketball teams play host to Green Mountain College this weekend for the Northeastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC) Championship at the Winsor School in Boston, MA. The games also serve as the Senior Day celebrations for both the men's and women's teams, both of which have two seniors graduating this spring; Jocelyn Mendoza (Morgan Hill, CA) and Daniela Villegas (East Boston, MA) for the women and Brandon Rembert (Camden, NJ) and Kyle Snowden (Santa Cruz, CA) on the men side.
The women open up the action on Saturday as they tip off against the GMC Eagles at 1pm. The Falcons are coming off a bounce back win on Thursday evening in which they defeated the Wheaton College Lyons, 78-55. Coach Jesse Ford saw five different players score in double figures in the win while shooting 43% from the field. This doubled their total from the game on Tuesday evening in which they fell to the CSJ Saints, shooting just 21%. Jenny-Lynn Eggers (Sonoma, CA) had her best game as a Falcon in the win as she earned her second double-double of the season dropping 19 points and 12 boards, both tying her season outputs. Choon-Hee Chae (Kyle, TX) has come on strong, scoring 14 points in back-to-back games, while Kellie Gaston (Tampa, FL), Vivian Lara (Norwalk, CA) and Mendoza all contributed in double figures. They will look to take that momentum into Saturday's championship against the Eagles, a team they have already defeated this season. The two teams played back on November 8th with the Falcons earning the 72-41 victory.
The Green Mountain Lady Eagles are 6-16 this season with an 0-2 NIAC conference record. They are 3-9 since returning from winter break and are looking for their first ever NIAC title. The Eagles average 62.0 points per game this season and have allowed 67.2 points per game to their opponents, while shooting 34.6% from the floor. GMC is led by Mercedes Rideout (Nashville, TN) as she earns 12.1 points per game, while teammate Sharena Armstrong (Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands) is the other Eagle to average in double figures with 10.7 points per game. She also leads her team in total rebounds (126) and blocks (30). Taylor Hill (Ronceverte, WV) leads her squad under the glass with 7.4 rpg while averaging just over eight points per game.
The men face off in game two of Championship Day at approximately 3pm. The Falcons head into the Championship game having won their last two contests defeating both the Bryant & Stratton Bobcats and CSJ Fighting Saints. In those two games they have averaged 80 points per game, while shooting just under 50% from the floor combined. Giovanni Thompson (Kissimmee, FL) has led his squad over the last two contests as he has had back-to-back 20+ point games and has averaged 24.5 points per game over his last two. Snowden has also played strong over the last two wins, dropping a season high 25 points in the win over the Bobcats and falling just shy of a triple-double in the victory over the Saints, finishing with 12 points, eight boards and dished out nine. The Falcons will be facing off against the Eagles for the second time this season as the Eagles were victorious back on November 8th, defeating the Falcons 76-55. Jhalen Lumpkins (Sacramento, CA) led the way for the Falcons in the losing effort as he finished with a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Thompson was the other Falcon in double figures in the loss as he contributed with 11.
The GMC men are having a strong season as they currently sit first in the NIAC with a 16-6 overall record, and are 1-0 in the conference with their only win coming against the Falcons back in November. They are a much stronger team on their home court as they are 10-1 in the confines of their gym, while maintaining a 6-5 record on the road. They are averaging 75.4 points per game while holding their opponents to just 60.3 points, and are shooting an impressive 45% from the floor over the season. GMC is led offensively by three Eagles scoring in double figures; Greg Alexander (Middle River, MD- 13.2 ppg), Duane Goodman (Charlotte, NC- 12.0 ppg), Sean Leflore (Moreno Valley, CA- 10.1 ppg). Leflore also leads his team in assists (59), blocks (19), rebounds per game (6.5) and offensive rebounds (63). Jerome Dixon (Minneapolis, MN) led the way for the Eagles in their victory over the Falcons in their previous. He came off the bench and finished with 13 points, while Goodman finished with 12.
Each game will feature a Senior Day presentation for each of their two seniors at halftime.