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Bullets Visit Uncharted Territory in NCAAs

The Bullets celebrate during their conference championship victory at F&M last Sunday

Game Notes | NCAA Bracket

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College men's basketball team will make its second-straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament this weekend when it heads to Columbus, Ohio, for the first two rounds of play on March 6-7. The Bullets will be the odd-man out in the four-team regional with a trio of Ohio schools in the mix: host Capital University (24-4), The College of Wooster (22-6), and Thomas More College (19-8). 

Gettysburg (18-8) earned its fifth trip overall to the tournament after winning the Centennial Conference championship last weekend, beating host and then No. 23 Franklin & Marshall College 73-65 in the finale. Wooster and Thomas More also won their respective conferences, the Fighting Scots earning their 11th championship as a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and the Saints pulling out their first crown as a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). Capital, ranked 13th in the latest D3hoops national poll, was upset in the championship of the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament by John Carroll University. 

After hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament last season, Gettysburg heads to the Buckeye State and very unfamiliar territory. The Bullets have played very few Ohio teams over the last century, including only one contest against any of the other three teams in the regional. 

“I'm really excited about doing that,” said Gettysburg Head Coach George Petrie when asked about going to Ohio. “In some ways, you feel like you're really into a tournament now, versus last year when we hosted.” 

“It will be a great environment,” he added. “It will have a Division I feel to it, the teams there are really good, we're out of region, and our style of play is something the teams in that area don't get to see a lot of.” 

Gettysburg's only prior meeting with its three NCAA counterparts came against its first-round opponent, Wooster, in 1981 and was won by the Scots 57-48. Wooster's head coach, Steve Moore, is familiar with the Bullets, however. Prior to arriving in Wooster, Moore served as Muhlenberg College's head coach from 1981 to 1987, helping the Mules beat the Bullets eight times in 13 contests. 

The similarities between Gettysburg and Wooster this season end at conference championships and NCAA berths. The two teams from top-to-bottom are near polar opposites of each other. Gettysburg is a senior-driven team that relies on a methodical and patient offense and a steady and disruptive defense. In the latest statistical rankings, the Bullets were 16th in scoring defense (60.8), 18th in field goal percentage defense (.393), and 21st in three-point field goal percentage defense (.297). 

Wooster's roster has only one senior and one junior with the primary offense coming from a crop of talented sophomores and freshmen. The Scots average over 80 points per game and are deadly from beyond the arc, ranking fourth in Division III in three-pointers made per game (10.4) and second in three-point field goal percentage (.434). Over its last four contests, Wooster averaged 92.3 points and canned over 50 percent of its three-point attempts. 

Friday's opening contest will be a battle of contrasting styles and the victor will be determined by which team can consistently utilize its strengths. 

“I don't think either of us is going to change anything, not at this late point in the season,” said Petri. “I think it's going to come down to execution, foul trouble, and knocking down shots.” 

The potential second round match up for the Bullets or Scots leans towards host Capital. The Crusaders have the advantage of playing on their home turf where they are 13-0 this season, including 9-0 against a very strong conference schedule. Thomas More has won nine of its last 10 contests heading into the NCAA Tournament and has a wild card in its back pocket as Head Coach John Ellenwood was an assistant on the Crusaders' staff prior to joining the Saints. 

All the action begins Friday, March 6, when Gettysburg and Wooster tip off. Capital and Thomas More will follow at about 8 p.m. Friday evening. The winners of the first two games will battle for the right to advance to the Sweet Sixteen on Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. Gettysburg has reserved a block of 250 tickets for Friday's contest that will be available for Bullets fans only until 6 p.m. General admission is $6 per day, while students, children, and senior citizens can purchase tickets for $3. Call (614) 236-6209 or (614) 236-6158 during regular business hours for more information.

Visit Capital's official NCAA website for access to more tournament information, such as directions and local accomodations. Capital will also offer live stats, live audio, and live video free of charge for all three contests.
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