WINTHROP, Mass. – With its victory over Simmons College on Saturday afternoon, Emmanuel College finished off its fifth straight year of undefeated play in GNAC regular-season contests, finishing the 2014-15 campaign with an unblemished 11-0 league mark to claim the top seed in next week's GNAC Women's Basketball Tournament.
The Saints (16-9, 11-0 GNAC) have now won 62 straight GNAC regular-season contests dating back to the 2009-10 season, as they now look to avenge a surprise first-round exit last winter, when they fell at home in overtime to Norwich University, 84-78, in the conference quarterfinals.
The regular-season champions will draw eighth-seeded Albertus Magnus College (11-14, 4-7 GNAC) on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the 2015 GNAC Tournament.
Norwich (21-4, 8-3 GNAC), which has won 11 straight overall, earned the No. 2 seed and will host seventh-seeded Anna Maria College (10-15, 5-6 GNAC) on Tuesday, also at 7:00 p.m.
Johnson & Wales University (16-9, 8-3 GNAC) jumped up to the No. 3 seed with a key, last-second victory in the regular-season finale at Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Saturday afternoon. As a result, the Wildcats will host reigning GNAC Champion Saint Joseph's (16-9, 6-5 GNAC), which earned the No. 6 seed, on Tuesday in the conference quarterfinals. That game will tip off at 5:30 p.m.
The fourth quarterfinal on Tuesday will feature fourth-seeded Suffolk University (12-13, 8-3 GNAC) hosting fifth-seeded Rivier University (11-13, 7-4 GNAC) at 7:00 p.m.
The 2015 GNAC Tournament semifinals are slated for Thursday evening, with the conference title game scheduled for Saturday.
Be sure to follow the GNAC on Twitter (@TheGNAC) for all of the latest updates and information throughout the 2015 GNAC Women's Basketball Tournament.
Quarterfinals - Tuesday, Feb. 24
Game 1: #8 Albertus Magnus at #1 Emmanuel - 7:00 p.m.
Game 2: #5 Rivier at #4 Suffolk - 7:00 p.m.
Game 3: #6 Saint Joseph's (Maine) at #3 Johnson & Wales - 5:30 p.m.
Game 4: #7 Anna Maria at #2 Norwich - 7:00 p.m.
Semifinals - Thursday, Feb. 26
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Championship - Saturday, Feb. 28
Game 7: Game 5 vs. Game 6 winner
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
#GOMONKS
Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!
Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.