GNAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
WINTHROP, Mass. – Saint Joseph's (Maine) picked up the final win to complete its undefeated Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) season on Saturday afternoon and locked up the No. 1 seed in the upcoming GNAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.
The reigning GNAC Champions went 14-0 in conference play (18-7 overall). The Monks are hoping their top ranking will help lead to their eighth-consecutive trip to the GNAC final.
Earning the No. 2 seed in this year's bracket is the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), which put together a 13-1 GNAC (22-3 overall) season.
The Monks and Blue Jays will have to wait to learn their opening matchups as they draw the two winners of the GNAC Play-In Round, which is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 19. The Play-In Round will feature No. 7 seed Regis (8-6 GNAC, 10-15 overall) hosting No. 10 seed Colby-Sawyer (5-9 GNAC, 8-17 overall) and No. 8 seed Rivier (7-7 GNAC, 10-15 overall) welcoming No. 9 seed Johnson & Wales (5-9 GNAC, 10-15 overall).
With both JWU and Colby-Sawyer finishing the conference season at 5-9, the league's tiebreaking procedure was used to determine seeding. The two teams were compared head-to-head with the Wildcats earning the higher seed as a result of their 64-61 victory over the Chargers.
The Tournament continues on Tuesday, Feb. 20 with the GNAC Quarterfinals. In addition to SJC and USJ, Albertus Magnus (11-3 GNAC, 19-6 overall) and Emmanuel (11-3 GNAC, 14-11 overall) will also get the opportunity to host quarterfinal matchups as the No. 3 and No. 4 seed, respectively. The Falcons draw No. 6 seed New England College (8-6 GNAC, 13-12 overall), while the Saints matchup with No. 5 seed Lasell (10-4 GNAC, 16-8 overall).
The league's tiebreaking procedure was also needed to break two other ties. First, in the tie at 11-3 between Albertus and Emmanuel. The Falcons were awarded the higher seed based on their 59-55 head-to-head victory in the regulars season. Then in the 8-6 deadlock between NEC and Regis, the Pilgrims defeated the Pride head-to-head to win the tiebreaker.
The four quarterfinal winners will earn the right to compete in the GNAC Semifinals, which are scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 22. They will be competing for the opportunity to play in the GNAC Championship on Saturday, Feb. 24. The winner of the GNAC Championship game will be named the 2024 GNAC Women's Basketball Champion and earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship.
2024 GNAC Women's Basketball Tournament Schedule
Play-In – Monday, Feb. 19
(Hosted by higher seeds)
#10 Colby-Sawyer at #7 Regis, 1 p.m.
#9 Johnson & Wales at #8 Rivier, 5 p.m.
Quarterfinals – Tuesday, Feb. 20
(Hosted by higher seeds)
#8/9 Winner at #1 Saint Joseph's (Maine), 5 p.m.
#7/10 Winner at #2 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 5 p.m.
#6 New England College at #3 Albertus Magnus, 5:30 p.m.
#5 Lasell at #4 Emmanuel, 6 p.m.
Semifinals – Thursday, Feb. 22
(Hosted by higher seeds)
#1/8/9 Winner vs. #4/5 Winner, TBD
#2/7/10 Winner vs. #3/6 Winner, TBD
Championship – Saturday, Feb. 24
Semifinal winners, TBD
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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