GLENSIDE, Pa. – The third-seeded Arcadia University men's basketball team is set to host its first conference title game, when the Knights host fifth-seeded Lycoming on Saturday at Alumni Gymnasium at 7 p.m. This marks Arcadia's first time hosting a conference title game since becoming an NCAA Division III member for the 1993-94 season. The Knights are seeking their first NCAA Tournament bid in program history.
Ticket Information: Per conference policy, all fans must pay admission for playoff contests at the following prices: adults $6, seniors $4, students/children $2 with children under six receiving free admission. Arcadia athletics will cover admission for all Arcadia students who present a valid student ID.
Game Coverage:
Live Stats,
Live Video Setting the Scene: The Scarlet and Grey advanced to the title game following a 71-67 upset win at second-seeded Lebanon Valley Wednesday night. The Warriors pulled off a pair of road upsets en route to the title game, first with an 89-75 win at fourth-seeded Stevenson on Monday, and then registering a 69-53 triumph at top-seeded, and defending conference champion Alvernia Wednesday.
About Arcadia: The Scarlet and Grey saw four players reach double figures in Wednesday night's win, led by junior
Ryan Kelley with a game-high 16 points. Sophomore
Brandon Thompson went 3 of 4 from beyond the arc to fuel a 15-point night, with senior
Alex Cohen and freshman
Evan Slone each depositing a dozen points. The Knights enter the night averaging 76.2 points per game while shooting 43.7% from the floor and 37.4% from beyond the arc.
Arcadia's Leaders: Senior
John Landro sets the pace in scoring for Arcadia at 16.1 points per game, placing him fifth in the MAC Commonwealth. The Cornwall, N.Y. native has been one of the most effective shooters in the conference, with his 42.4% field goal percentage ranking ninth in the league and his 37.4% three-point field goal percentage ranking fourth. Kelley has been a key piece to the Knights' success on both ends of the floor averaging 12.7 points per game on 44% shooting, while registering a team-best 52 steals on the defensive end. Freshman
Josh Scott rounds out the active Knights averaging double-figures with 12.2 points per game. Scott along with Slone power the Knights rebounding effort at 5.1 and 4.9 boards per game, respectively. Cohen has been strong down the stretch posting three double-digit scoring efforts in the last four games.
About Lycoming: The Warriors cruised by top-seeded Alvernia, 69-53, as all five starters reached double-figures, led by Nykolas King's 21 point effort, handing Alvernia its first ever MAC Commonwealth Championship Tournament loss since the Crusaders joined the league in the 2008-09 season; Alvernia had previously gone 9-0 on its way to winning four conference titles. David Johnson dropped 17, while Chris Wallace and Alex Newbold each added 14, with Willie Kee rounding out the top scorers with 10. The Warriors bring in a 76.4 point-per-game scoring average as they shoot 42.1% from the field and 34.7% from distance. Defensively, Lycoming holds its opponents to 69.9 points per game and 40.8% shooting from the field.
Lycoming's Leaders: Five Warriors average double-digit scoring, led by King with 12.9 points per night. Johnson sits at 12 points per contest, with T.J. Duckett (10.6), Newbold (10.4) and Wallace (10.3) rounding out the leaders. King serves as the leader off the glass at 6.2 rebounds per game, followed closely by Wallace's 6.1 boards per contest. Wallace sits atop the Warriors' shooting list at 54.6% from the field; he would lead the league if he met the five made field goals per game minimum. As the top three-pointer shooter in the conference, Duckett checks in at 44.5% from beyond the arc.
Season Series: The Scarlet and Grey swept the regular season series, including a thrilling 86-84 finish in Glenside in the last meeting. Thompson led the Knights to the win with a key three with 10.4 ticks to go and converted a free throw with three ticks left in regulation to cap the scoring. Saturday night's meeting marks the first ever postseason showdown between the two teams.
Arcadia in the MAC Commonwealth Playoff: The Scarlet and Grey are 2-2 in MAC Commonwealth postseason play since joining the league for the 2008-09 season. The Knights' first MAC Commonwealth playoff win came in the 2012-13 season when fourth-seeded Arcadia took down fifth-seeded Stevenson 85-83 in the Knights' only other home playoff contest as a member of the conference.
Knights in the Postseason: Arcadia made 10 trips to the conference tournament as a member of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference between 1993 and 2007. The Knights advanced to the conference championship in its first two campaigns as an NCAA program. The Scarlet and Grey are now 7-12 overall in postseason play as an NCAA member.
