Tournament Web Page
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College men's basketball team will make its 11th consecutive appearance in the Centennial Conference (CC) playoffs this weekend at tournament host Franklin & Marshall College.
The Bullets (14-11, 11-7 CC), who closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak, have reached the Centennial Conference championship game in each of the past three seasons and are trying to become the first to reach the CC title game four years in a row.
Gettysburg finished in third place in the conference standings to earn a first-round playoff bye and the No. 3 seed in the CC tournament. The team will face No. 2 seed Dickinson College (14-11, 12-6 CC) in the semifinals on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.
Top-seeded and 19th-ranked Franklin & Marshall (20-5, 15-3 CC), the defending conference champion, will play in the second semifinal at 3 p.m. on Saturday opposite No. 5 seed Haverford College (14-11, 10-8 CC), a 61-60 winner over No. 4 seed McDaniel College in the first-round game on Wednesday.
The championship game will be held on Sunday at 3 p.m. back at F&M. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Gettysburg has now finished among the top three teams in the conference standings in each of the past four seasons under head coach
George Petrie, who has led the Bullets to Centennial Conference titles in 2001, 2002, and 2009.
Despite losing a pair of starters and a significant backup in December, the Bullets came within one game of finishing with the same conference record as they did last season, when they finished second in the conference and reached the tournament championship game.
“Our game's been evolving because of so many changes in our lineup,” said Petrie. “So maybe now we're hitting our stride. We're still searching for that opportunity where everybody plays their 'A' game on the same night.
“They're very resilient,” added Petrie. “Though it hasn't always been pretty, they've hung in there and found a way to win. They haven't stopped learning and trying and now they're two games away from another title.”
Gettysburg and Dickinson will be meeting in the CC playoffs for the first time. The two teams split their regular season series this year, with each team winning on the road. The Red Devils claimed a 66-58 decision in Gettysburg on Jan. 26 while the Bullets earned a 59-57 overtime victory in Carlisle just last Wednesday.
Ticket Information: Ticket prices for the 2011 Centennial Conference Tournament are as follows:
Adults (18 and over): $5
Students (13-18 without college ID): $3
Students from participating schools: Free upon presentation of ID
Youth (12 and under): Free
