Seven local college basketball players got a chance to play in the NCAA Division III basketball tournament. Three women and four men took part in six games.
Caitlin Cipriano (Holy Cross) and Emmanuel College took part in two NCAA games, a win and a loss.
She started in both games and played a total of 39 minutes. Cipriano played 25 minutes in a 69-65 win over Hartwick College and had four points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks, one steal and four personal fouls. She played 14 minutes in an 80-49 loss to SUNY-New Paltz and tallied five rebounds and one assist.
Lizzy Cretella (St. Paul) and Aiyana Ward (Holy Cross) both saw time off the bench for Eastern Connecticut State University in its 58-42 loss to Johns Hopkins University. Cretella played 23 minutes and scored six points on 2-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-6 from three-point range. She had four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Ward played five minutes and scored two points on 1-of-5 shooting to go along with two rebounds.
Nyzair Rountree (Holy Cross) and Charles McClain (Chase Collegiate) each played for Keene State College in its 86-65 loss to Moravian College. Rountree started and played 16 minutes. He wound up with five points, two rebounds, one assist, one block and four personal fouls. McClain played two minutes off the bench for the Owls. McClain, a physical education major, played in his last game for Keene State.
Matt Finke (Wolcott) started and played 22 minutes for Mitchell College in a 90-73 loss to Swarthmore College. He scored five points on 2-of-7 shooting, including his lone three-point attempt. Finke had one rebound and one assist.
Damian Grant (Wilby) started and played seven minutes for Albertus Magnus College in an 85-59 loss to Christopher Newport University. He had two points and made both of his foul shots.
