Cortland to Face Saint Vincent College in NCAA Opening Round Friday in Hartford
Cortland Sports Information Department
The Cortland women's basketball team has earned a spot in the 64-team NCAA Division III tournament and will open play against Saint Vincent College of Pennsylvania on Friday, March 3, as part of a four-team regional hosted by Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.
Friday's other first-round game at Trinity features the host Bantams versus Notre Dame (Md.). The Cortland-Saint Vincent game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start, with Trinity-Notre Dame at 6:30 p.m. Friday's winners will play Saturday at Trinity at 6:30 p.m., with that winner advancing to the tournament's "sweet 16."
The Red Dragons (23-4), led by fifth-year head coach Jacey Brooks, will be making their third straight NCAA tournament appearance and 13th overall. Cortland lost to DeSales in the 2022 first round and defeated host Western New England in the 2020 first round before losing to Tufts in the second round in its previous two NCAA showings under Brooks. There was no tournament in 2021, and the 2020 tournament was canceled after the second round.
Saint Vincent (22-4) won the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) title with a 68-52 win over Chatham last Saturday. The Bearcats won their third PAC title in five years and earned their fourth trip to the NCAA tournament. They previously made the national field in 2011, 2012 and 2019.
Cortland earned an NCAA automatic bid after claiming its eighth State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) tournament title, and first since 2010, with a 57-52 win at top-seeded New Paltz Saturday. The second-seeded Red Dragons avenged two regular-season losses to the Hawks, as well as SUNYAC championship-game setbacks to New Paltz in both 2020 and 2022.
Five Cortland players average between seven and 13 points per game. Emily Morano (Olyphant, PA/Mid Valley) is the team leader at 13 points per game, followed by Nyia Longford (Medford/Longwood) at 11 points per contest. Casey Travers (Manorville/Eastport-South Manor) averages 9.2 points per game, followed by Sarah Tully (East Aurora) at 8.5 points per game and Maggie Malone (Cornwall) at 7.9 points per outing. Tully is the team leader with seven rebounds per game and Longford averages three assists per game.
Trinity (22-5) earned an NCAA at-large berth after falling to Tufts, 57-38, in the championship game of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament. The Bantams are making their third NCAA tournament showing; the previous two appearances occurred in 1995 and 1997.
Notre Dame (23-4) won its first Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) title with an 83-57 win over Clarks Summit. The Gators are making their second NCAA tournament appearance and first since 2007.
Cortland has never faced either Saint Vincent or Notre Dame. The Red Dragons have played Trinity once previously, defeating the Bantams, 68-48, at the Skidmore Invitational in November 2014.
