SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Nichols College has earned the top seed for the 2013-14 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's basketball championship, which begins with quarterfinal matchups on campus sites Tuesday.
The Bison (20-5 overall) captured the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament after compiling a league-best 16-2 record in CCC play. Nichols will be seeking to capture the program's first CCC men's basketball tournament championship since joining the conference in 1994.
On Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., Nichols will host #8 seed Western New England (7-17, 5-13), while #2 seed Eastern Nazarene (19-5, 13-5) will host #7 seed Wentworth (11-14, 8-10) and #3 seed Gordon (14-10, 12-6) will host #6 seed Roger Williams (10-15, 9-9). Later that evening at 8:00 p.m. #4 seed Salve Regina (16-9, 11-7) will host #5 seed Endicott (17-8, 11-7) following the Salve Regina vs. Curry women's quarterfinal.
CCC tiebreaking procedures were utilized to determine the fourth and fifth seeds in the tournament. Both Salve Regina and Endicott tied for fourth place with identical 11-7 CCC records. Head-to-head play, the first step in the process, offered no relief, as the Seahawks and Gulls split their two regular-season matchups. In the second step, records against all other CCC teams were compared, starting from the top of the standings and working down until one team gained an advantage. Salve Regina's 1-1 record against top-seeded Nichols earned the edge, as Endicott posted a 0-2 mark against the Bison.
Quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinal round which will be played on Thursday, February 27 at the sites of the higher seed. Games are scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m., but may be altered in the event that one institution hosts both a men's and a women's contest.
Semifinal winners will square off for the conference championship on Saturday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m. at the site of the higher seed.
Tuesday night marks the 37th all-time meeting between Wentworth and Eastern Nazarene with the series tied at 18-all. This will mark the third time the two teams will meet in the post-season and the first since a 66-61 Leopard win in the 1998 semifinal round. The Black & Gold hold a 2-1 series edge in the post-season meetings. This season the Lions won both meetings, taking a 71-67 win in Boston on January 9, and a 71-61 win in Quincy on February 8.
Click HERE for the Interactive Tournament Bracket.
Click HERE for the Printable Tournament Bracket.
2013-14 CCC MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
All times subject to change in the event of a men's/women's doubleheader
Quarterfinals • Tuesday, February 25
#8 Western New England (7-17, 5-13) at #1 Nichols (20-5, 16-2), 7:00 p.m.
#7 Wentworth (11-14, 8-10) at #2 Eastern Nazarene (19-5, 13-5), 7:00 p.m.
#6 Roger Williams (10-15, 9-9) at #3 Gordon (14-10, 12-6), 7:00 p.m.
#5 Endicott (17-8, 11-7) at #4 Salve Regina (16-9, 11-7), 8:00 p.m.
Semifinals • Thursday, February 27
#1/8 winner vs. #4/5 winner, 7:00 p.m. (at higher seed)
#2/7 winner vs. #3/6 winner, 7:00 p.m. (at higher seed)
Championship Game • Saturday, March 1
Semifinal Winners, 2:00 p.m. (at higher seed)
