At the end of the regular season it looks like we will get 4-5 teams in the postseason barring an upset tourney winner or a long run by Emory & Henry or Bridgewater.

Washington & Lee def. Bethany (105-91)

Eastern Mennonite def. Lynchburg (75-52)

Guilford def. Emory & Henry (66-56)

Washington & Jefferson def. Virginia Wesleyan (61-50)

Washington & Lee (7 RPI)

Eastern Mennonite (15)

Guilford (39)

Lynchburg (54)

Washington & Jefferson (95)

Emory & Henry (118)

West #4 Virginia Wesleyan vs. East #5 Bridgewater (-17)

East #3 Lynchburg vs. West #6 Roanoke (+56)

East #4 Emory & Henry vs. West #5 Randolph-Macon (+10)

West #3 Bethany vs. East #6 Hampden-Sydney (-7)

Bridgewater: has achieved the first two requirements of what they need to improve their 130 RPI (win over HS and 1st round against VW). Now it just takes a run to the final.

Lynchburg: Stands to get hurt by 1st round matchup even with a win. Will likely have to make the semifinals to have a legitimate shot at the NT. Roanoke pulled major upset in early rounds last year. Sets up a showdown with Washington & Jefferson for postseason bids/positioning for both.

Emory & Henry: 2nd round matchup could determine their postseason hopes, but likely needs to make the final to have a solid chance at the PI. Can't overlook dangerous, senior-laden Randolph-Macon in the 1st round.

Washington & Jefferson: awaits the winner of Lynchburg-Roanoke. Needs a win preferably against Lynchburg (due to RPI difference) to improve status of PI bid. Making the finals would clinch it.

Guilford: Looks to be solid for the NT bid, but must take care of business in quarterfinals against winner of Hampden-Sydney-Bethany.

Eastern Mennonite and Washington & Lee are playing for seeding with potential #1 seed on the line for WL.

Hampden-Sydney built a 20 point lead early in the second half lead by Ken Brown (19 points) and Jeff Jackson (13 points, 13 rebounds). The Tigers then had to hold on as Israel Stiles (23 points) and Earl Castleberry (18 points, 13 rebounds) lead a furious Bethany comeback that fell just short. The Tigers advance to face heavily favored Guilford in the quarterfinals.

Bridgewater battled the Marlins to a stand-still until pulling away late in the game, but needed a tip in at the buzzer to keep their slim hopes of a postseason bid alive. Carlos Rogers lead the Eagles with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 4 blocks showing his all-around game, but it was his free throw shooting that kept Virginia Wesleyan in the game as he hit just 7-14 from the line. Tony Hinnenkamp (19 points) lead the Marlins back from 8 down late to tie it at 47 with 26 seconds , but Richard Thompson's tip in of a Rogers miss at the buzzer helped the Eagles escape with the win. Bridgewater advances to face conference champion Eastern Mennonite in the quarterfinals.

Emory & Henry used their pressure defense and a three point barrage to wear down Randolph-Macon and pull away late for an 11 point win. Randy Perry (18 points) nailed 4-4 from beyond the arc and Terence Brooks (15 points) added 5-9 as the Wasps hit 11-17 as a team. Brian Grant lead the Yellow Jackets with 12 points in the losing effort. With the game still in doubt at 44-43 Wasps with 5:54 to go, Randy Perry went to work scoring 10 points in a 19-9 run to close it out. Emory & Henry faces the daunting task of taking on tournament favorite Washington & Lee with their postseason lives on the line.

Lynchburg dominated early and cruised to an easy win over Roanoke. James Puzinski (20 points, 11 rebounds) capped an early 15-0 run to open a 25-9 lead and James Atkinson (18 points) capped a 14-2 run to end the half putting the Hornets up 63-28. Robert Johnson (17 points) and Richard Handel (16 points) helped the Maroons win the second half, but the damage was already done. Lynchburg advances to face Washington & Jefferson in the quarterfinals in a game that will have postseason consequences for both teams. A win could put the Hornets in the national tournament while a Presidents victory could put Washington & Jefferson solidly in the postseason invitational.

East #1 Eastern Mennonite vs. East #5 Bridgewater (+25)

West #2 Washington & Jefferson vs. East #3 Lynchburg (-20)

West #1 Washington & Lee vs. East #4 Emory & Henry (+43)

East #2 Guilford vs. East #5 Hampden-Sydney (+37)

Eastern Mennonite jumped out early taking advantage of double teams on Donald Black (15 points and 11 rebounds) and Gerald Williams (10 points) as Tim Clontz (19 points on 5-10 3's) lit the Eagles up with 4 quick threes. The Royals never looked back as they opened a 46-25 halftime lead. Bridgewater was hampered by foul trouble on Carlos Rogers (3 points) and a second half injury to John Anglin (10 points), but never really challenged the East division champs. Mennonite advances to face Lynchburg in the semifinals.

Guilford used an early 8-0 run headed by two Thomas Henry (11 points)threes off the bench to take an 18-8 lead and beat the upstart Tigers by 19. The Quakers used a 10-0 run near the end of the half to take a 46-30 lead. Louis Bailey poured in 18 points on 4-4 three-pointers and Curtis Gamble added 14 points in the win. Hampden-Sydney cut the deficit to nine with 15:13 in the second half on Jeffrey King's 1-2 free throws. King led the Tigers with 15 points and was aided by Jeff Jackson's 12 points. After King's free throws, Guilford steadily pulled away extending its lead to 25 and cruising to the win.

Washington & Lee used a steady barrage of offensive weapons to open a big lead in the first half and rolled to an easy win over Emory & Henry. The game was a battle early as Nelson Yablonski (5 points) nailed a three to make the score 13-11 Generals. Washington & Lee was led by Joseph Lee (15 points) who got plenty of help from Lee Houston (12 points), Alex Hoffman (11 points), and Donald Allen (10 points). The Generals lead 51-29 at the half. The Wasps showed up in the second half and the Generals began to struggle as the vaunted "40 minutes of unpleasantness" made life mildly annoying. Emory & Henry cut the lead to 15 late in the game, but it was too little, too late. Washington & Lee advances to face Guilford in the semifinals.

Washington & Jefferson's William Nawrocki did everything he could overcoming a double team for most of the game and poured in 28 points on 7-13 shooting from beyond the arc, but it still was not enough as James Puzinski's tip in of a John Lee miss at the buzzer helped the Hornets advance. When Nawrocki wasn't hitting, backcourt mate Willie Pruett was adding 17 points on 4 of 6 threes. James Atkinson (20 points) led a balanced attack by Lynchburg as Lee (18 points and 11 rebounds), Puzinski (19 points and 14 rebounds), John Gregoire (17 points), and Terry Lambert (12 points) combined for 86 of the team's 92 points.

Things looked good early for the Presidents as Nawrocki and Steven Jeanlouis helped Washington & Jefferson to a 15 point lead in the first half, but the Hornets fought back to be down 41-35 at the half. Lynchburg got back in the game quickly in the second half and the teams battled to a tie in regulation as John Gregoire nailed a long jumper with eight seconds to go after the Presidents' Charles Cook hit one of two free throws. The overtime session was much like the second half as the teams traded the lead until Washington & Jefferson looked like they had taken control with a 3 point lead on a James Knopf bank shot with 1:09 to go. Puzinski hit from 15 feet out to cut it to one and Knopf was fouled, but missed both free throws to open the door for Puzinski's heroics. The Hornets move on to face top-seeded Eastern Mennonite. With the loss, the Presidents are likely out of postseason contention, while the Hornets are still squarely on the bubble.

East #1 Eastern Mennonite vs East #3 Lynchburg (+5)

West #1 Washington & Lee vs. East #2 Guilford (+11)

Defending conference tournament champion Guilford returned to the final by crushing Washington & Lee last night. The game started evenly until the Generals' Joseph Lee drew a foul that he didn't agree with. Lee lost his cool and drew a technical. Guilford went on a short run to go up 12-5, but Washington & Lee seemed to recover cutting the deficit back to one at 12-11. After trading baskets, Guilford began dominating as they went on a 14-0 run wrapped up by a three by Curtis Gamble. After a James Woodson three for W&L, the Quakers went on another tear outscoring the Generals 13-0. W&L finally got on the board with a 4-0 run at the end of the half, down 42-20, and hoped that would translate into a momentum swing.

It was not meant to be. Guilford jumped all over the Generals to start the 2nd half as Gamble and Louis Bailey dropped a couple of three-pointers leading to a 23-5 run that put W&L away. The Quakers thoroughly dominated the game leading at one point by 47 before settling in for the 88-50 win. Gamble led six Quaker players in double figures with 22 points on 4-5 from downtown. Jeremy Jeffrey was the only General in double figures with 10 points off the bench.

#9 Washington & Lee still stands to get a 3 seed in the national tournament, but the loss hurts as the Generals had hoped to get through the conference tournament and have a chance at a #1 seed. #16 Guilford got the signature win they were looking for and now stands a good chance to really boost their seeding.

Lynchburg needed a good start after getting stomped in their last outing against Eastern Mennonite and thought they had it as John Gregoire opened with a three. The Royals had other ideas in the first half, riding their big men, conference player of the year Donald Black and second team All-ODAC Gerald Williams to 10-0 run and a 7-0 run to take a 34-27 halftime lead. Black and Williams combined for 16 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.

The second half again started well for the Hornets as a John Lee turnaround jumper and another Gregoire three brought them back in the game. Once again the Royals leaned on their big men, pounding it inside to Black who converted 6-6 from the foul line to re-establish the lead. Down eight, Lynchburg turned to former starter James Atkinson who buried two three-pointers and assisted in another for Terry Lambert to cut the deficit to one. A Lee tip in provided the Hornets with their first lead since early in the game.

The teams traded the lead as Mennonite suddenly had a difficult time from the line Black missed two, then Williams and Black both missed the front end of a one and one. After Black failed to convert and with the Hornets leading by one, Bryan Kelly, who earned the start tonight over Atkinson, buried a huge three to put Lynchburg up 4 with 2:22 to play. After Black finally was able to convert some free throws, Kelly hit 1-2 free throws and James Puzinski hit two to extend the lead to 5. Tim Clontz, who struggled all night with his shooting going 2-12 from the field and 0-8 from deep, missed four three-pointers in the last 43 seconds to allow Lynchburg to hold on and advance.

Terry Lambert scored 18 points and Lee and Gregoire added 14 apiece in the win. Lynchburg outscored the East champs 41-26 in the second half. Donald Black finished with a game-high 20 points and frontcourt mate Gerald Williams added 14 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out late late in the game. Mennonite still looks strong for a high seed, possibly a #4 in the national tournament. Lynchburg should have secured a bid in the national tournament with the win.

Tomorrow's game:

East #2 Guilford vs. East #3 Lynchburg (+12)

End of regular season 25

Season 25 Postseason

West #3 Washington & Lee vs. West #14 Ithaca (Empire 8) (+21)

Midwest #4 Eastern Mennonite vs. Midwest #13 Pitt-Greensburg (CC) (+8)

East #9 Guilford vs. East #8 Redlands (SoCal) (+4)

South #10 Lynchburg vs. South #7 W. New England (Great NE) (-4)

Season 25 Postseason

West #3 Washington & Lee vs. West #11 Manchester (Heartland) (+22)

Midwest #4 Eastern Mennonite vs. Midwest #5 East Texas Baptist (ASC) (+3)

East #9 Guilford vs. East #1 Principia (SLIAC) (-14)

Season 25 Postseason

West #3 Washington & Lee vs. West #2 Elizabethown (CC) (-1)

Midwest #4 Eastern Mennonite vs. Midwest #1 Adrian (MIAA) (-20)

Once again... great job, BC