CACC Tourney: Holy Family And Goldey-Beacom On Collision Course

By Mel Greenberg

Can Goldey-Beacom’s Lightning strike twice?

After snapping Holy Family’s NCAA-record 110-game win streak in regular season conference games in January at the Tigers’ Campus Center in Northeast Philadelphia, the two teams can meet again at the same site but this time to decide the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and automatic bid to the NCAA Division II tournament.

Holy Family (22-3), the top seed out of the South Division, advanced with a 72-54 home win Monday night over fourth-seeded Philadelphia University (15-12).

Goldey-Beacom (16-11), the third seed, again rode the upset route, this time beating host and second seed University of Sciences 57-54 at the Devil’s Bobby Morgan Arena in Southwest Philadelphia.

USP (21-6) could still get an at-large bid to the NCAA field.

Before a rematch can occur, Holy Family and Goldey-Beacom must first deal with an opponent from the North Division in Friday’s semifinals beginning at noon.

Goldey-Beacom in the second game at 2 p.m. will have to get past Bloomfield College (19-8), the top seed out of the North, which advanced at home in northern New Jersey with a 56-42 win over fourth-seeded Dominican College (9-18) as Robyn Burton scored 13 points for the Lady Deacons.

The championship is Saturday at 4 p.m. and Thursday’s awards banquet will be at Citizens Bank Park.

Caldwell College (21-5), the second seed, tied a school record for seasonal wins set by three teams previously (including 2003), by putting away third seed Felician College 65-54 in Caldwell, N.J.

The Cougars, who meet Holy Family at noon, pulled away from a narrow 29-28 lead at halftime over the Golden Falcons as Torey Jones scored 15 points, while Kirsty Leedham scored 14 points and Jeanette Anderson scored 14.

Felician’s Quay Baskerville, whose trey at the buzzer produced the Golden Falcons’ halftime lead, had 29 points and 10 rebounds.

Back in the South, Holy Family had to fight off a 15-point deficit that existed in the first to the Rams, who led 31-27 at the break.

But the Tigers roared the rest of the way with a 45-27 advantage.

Erin Mann had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Tigers, while Catherine Carr scored 18 points, Samantha Thompson 13, and Lindsey Tennett had 10 points.

Holy Family had 24 assists on the night.

Philadelphia U. had a balanced attack with Stephanie Agger scoring 15 points, Kate Brennan and Christine Wooding 11 each, and Kristen Blye 10.

The day started on a positive note for University of Sciences, whose Caitlin Shaw was named CACC player of the year and whose Paul Stadelberger, a former Philly U. assistant to Tom Shirley, was named coach of the year.

Holy Family’s Carr also made the first team while Philly U’s Brennan and the Tigers’ Mann made the second team.

USP’s Colleen Christian, Holy Family’s Lauren Peter’s and Philly U’s Wooding made the third team.

Chestnut Hill’s Lindsey Alexander was an honorable mention honoree.

But the Devils’ night did not go as well.

Christian scored 18 points for USP, shooting 7-for-12 from the field. She had four treys to gain 51 for the season to become the third woman and first since 2003 to get 50 or more in a season for the Devils.

Shaw scored 10 points and had 11 rebounds.

Goldey-Beacom’s Jacinta Jones scored 17 points and Devonne Richardson scored 13.

USP’s undoing was at the foul line where the Devils were a mediocre 5-for-14 while the Lightning shot 17-for-22.

Still, there was a chance with the score tied 50-50 with 1: 04 left in the game and another on Christian’s shot to make it 54-54 with 11.08 seconds left.

But then Janae Weldon was fouled. She made the first, missed the second before the Devils turned the ball over and Weldon hit two more shots to finish the game.

Division III Pairings

Four area teams have made the NCAA Division III tournament field with action set to begin Friday.

Neumann University, which won the Colonial States Athletic Conference title and automatic bid over Immaculata will be in the quad in Annville, Pa., playing host Lebanon Valley, which won its first Commonwealth title.

Bridgewater, Mass., meets Radolph-Macon and the winners play the second round Saturday.

Johns Hopkins, the Centennial top-seed which fell to Muhlenberg in the championship, will meet Richard Stockton, an at-large pick out of the New Jersey Athletic Conference in Newport News, Va., where host Christopher Newport will meet York (Pa.).

In Rochester, N.Y. Muhlenberg will play Williams while Daniel Webster will meet host Rochester.

DeSales, formerly Allentown U., which won the Freedom Conference for the fourth straight time, will play host Geneseo State in Geneseo, N.Y., with Babson to meet Medaille.

The Guru will update this with records in the next day or so.

-- Mel