INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- The Moravian College women's basketball is playing beyond the conference tournament for the 12th straight season but for the first time since 2009-10, the extended season will take place in the NCAA Tournament as the Greyhounds received one of the 20 Pool C/At-Large berths into the 2014 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament field of 64.
Moravian, 20-7 this winter, was in the first four-team site announced during the Selection Show on NCAA.com, and the Greyhounds will play Cabrini College, 23-4 and the champions of the Colonial States Athletic Conference, on Friday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m. The game will be played at Montclair State University, which is hosting the pod, and the Red Hawks will play Regis (Mass.) College in the other first round game Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. The winners will play in the Second Round contest on Saturday, March 8. Click here for the full bracket.
The Greyhounds, coming off a loss to The University of Scranton in the Landmark Championship game, are making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance under the direction of 27-year Head Coach Mary Beth Spirk, and ninth NCAA appearance overall. In her career, Spirk has posted a career record of 507-236, earning her 500th career win at Drew University this past January 15. Spirk led Moravian to the NCAA Division III National Championship game in 1992 and Sweet Sixteen appearances in 1991 and 1993.
"I'm thrilled for this team that we received a bid to the tournament, and that we were in the first group that was announced," stated Spirk. "Last year, we thought we had a good chance to get in but sat through all 64 teams and didn't get in. This team has put so much effort into the season, I was ecstatic when we were announced right away. You can enjoy it more this way instead of waiting and waiting.
"Our five seniors have been through so much in the 111 games since they started wearing Greyhound uniforms that it is only fitting that they finally get a chance show what they have in the NCAA Tournament to finish out their careers," Spirk finished.
Senior guard Katie O'Rourke is part of that quintet of seniors and has been leading the Greyhounds on the court this season. O'Rourke became the first player in school history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals when she scored her 1,000th point in the Landmark Championship game at Saturday last Saturday. She is scoring a team high 13.3 points per game to go with 4.7 rebounds per contest. She also has a team high 98 assists with just 88 turnovers, and O'Rourke is leading the Hounds at the foul line at 81 percent (104-for-128).
Senior guard Danielle Brogan is tossing in 10.3 points per outing with a team-high 48 three-pointers including three in the championship game, and she is second on the squad with 39 steals to go with a 4.7 rebound per game average.
Senior forward Laura Jordan has helped Moravian post a new school record in blocked shots by a team at 231 with Jordan recording 91 of the rejections. The Hounds lead all of NCAA Division III at 8.56 blocked shots per game, and Jordan is sixth individually at 3.50. She is also contributing a team-high 5.4rebounds per outing to go with 8.1 points per game.
Senior forward Ericka Blair has been another force inside for the Hounds since junior forward Alexis Wright was lost to a season-ending injury on December 9. Blair has contributed 8.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest to go with 29 blocked shots after a 16-point game on Saturday. Senior guard Alyssa Hann leads Moravian with 57 steals to go with 63 assists, and Hann has just 49 turnovers this winter, one of six Greyhounds with more assists than turnovers this season. Hann has also added 130 points and 68 boards.
Sophomore forward Alesha Marcks is contributing 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per outing, and she has been the Hounds top shooter from the floor at 51.2 percent (86-for-168). In her debut season, freshman guard Nellie Tanguay has tossed in 82 points, and she is second on the squad with 20 three-pointers. Others helping out at the guard positions have been junior Emily MacDonnell, who has 79 points, 50 assists and 15 three-pointers, sophomore guard Marie Rossignoli, who has 46 points and 30 rebounds, and freshman Morgan Calabrese with 66 points and 16 treys.
The Greyhounds have received depth inside from freshman forward Natalie Vanderlaan-Meyering with 39 points, 26 rebounds and 16 blocked shots and sophomore forward Karlee Corvasce adding 30 rebounds and 18 points. Moravian also has received contributions from freshmen Tristen Hamilton, Cori Weiss, Courtney Kruscavage and Shannon Zimmerman.
Moravian and Cabrini have five common opponents this season with each squad playing at least one game versus Albright College, Centenary College, Immaculata University, Juniata College and The University of Scranton. However, the two schools have not faced each other since the Cavaliers posted a 74-71 win at the then-Allentown College Tip-Off Tournament on November 22, 1986, and that is the only meeting on the hardwood between the programs.
