Kamahl Walker scored 25 points in Endicott's loss to Roger Williams on January 17. He'll get another shot at a victory this weekend when the Hawks come to Endicott. Photo by David Le, Endicott athletics

It’s hard to believe, but we’re slowly approaching the end to an exciting 2016-17 season of Division III basketball in the Northeast.

And with just a few weeks remaining before conference tournament play begins, it’s time to highlight 10 games to watch, attend or keep an eye on over the next few weeks.

• MBB Top 25: Amherst, Middlebury move up; Wesleyan drops out
• WBB Top 25: Amherst on top after winning showdown with Tufts
• ATR features: Amherst women | Babson women | Babson men | Eastern Connecticut men

Williams at No. 17 Tufts (Fri. Feb. 10^th | Men’s Basketball): After a 1-2 week, the Jumbos will look to close out their regular season slate with a pair of wins, including a victory over Williams on Friday evening. The Ephs will enter the contest looking to maintain their spot in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament. After defeating Connecticut College on Sunday, Williams appears primed for a postseason spot, but a loss could impact where they fall in the overall seeding. Either way, this could be a preview of a first round conference tournament matchup.

No. 8 Amherst at No. 13 Middlebury (Fri., Feb. 10^th | Men’s Basketball): This is a rematch of last year’s NESCAC championship game, so you can bet Dave Hixon’s crew would love to erase their disappointing setback from last February, even if Amherst followed that loss with a run to the Final Four. Amherst appears to be gaining momentum, especially after a big win over the Jumbos, and the Purple and White would have the tie breakers over Tufts and Middlebury for NESCAC tournament hosting rights with a win. If Middlebury wins, the Panthers will need Williams to beat Tufts to host the NESCAC tournament.

Middlebury at No. 1 Amherst (Fri. Feb. 10^th | Women’s Basketball): Can the Purple and White make it 23-straight wins? It’s possible, but they’ll need to get past a Middlebury squad that has enjoyed an impressive season thus far. The Panthers currently occupy the league’s fourth position– if the conference tournament were to commence today, they would host a first-round matchup. If Middlebury wants to host a playoff game, they’ll need to get past Amherst and Trinity – this upcoming weekend’s foes before closing out their season at Plattsburgh State. Both teams are locked-in for the conference tournament and could perhaps meet again in Amherst if the Purple and White finished their season undefeated. 

Roger Williams at Endicott (Sat. Feb. 11^th | Men’s Basketball): Following Wednesday’s visit to Nichols, Endicott will play its final three games at home, starting with an important conference clash against Roger Williams. The Hawks are one of two CCC teams that beat the Gulls this season – last month, Roger Williams secured a 73-66 win over Endicott, thanks to a pair of 20-point performances from Conor O’Brien and Austin Coene. Expect both student-athletes to be well defended when they visit ‘the nest.’

Eastern Connecticut at Mass-Dartmouth (Sat. Feb. 11^th | Women’s Basketball): Since defeating the Corsairs last month, the Warriors have scored some important conference wins, including a one-point victory over Keene State (63-62) and an overtime thriller against Western Connecticut (75-73). A win over Mass-Dartmouth would most likely provide the Warriors with the Little East Conference regular season crown; however, one should not overlook a Corsairs squad, which has captured seven-straight games since losing to Eastern Connecticut.

WPI at Babson (Weds. Feb. 15^th | Women’s Basketball): Round two of last year’s NEWMAC tournament final should be an exciting contest. The teams met earlier this season with the Beavers defeating the Engineers in Worcester by a score of 65-47. Since falling to the Beavers, the Engineers have won seven of their last eight, including a 61-49 win over Springfield. Babson remains the front-runner for the top spot in the conference; however, a win by Cherise Galasso’s squad could make for an exciting final weekend of league play.

Fitchburg State at Salem State (Weds. Feb. 15^th | Men’s Basketball): Could this game determine the possible MASCAC regular season champion? Possibly, especially since the Falcons edged the Vikings last month in Fitchburg. If the Falcons want to spoil any sort of celebration, they’ll not only need to defeat the Vikings – on the road, mind you – but also win their remaining conference contests against Framingham State, MCLA and Worcester State. 

Keene State at Eastern Connecticut State (Weds. Feb. 15^th | Men’s Basketball): The Owls secured an important victory over the Warriors last month, which halted a season-changing nine-game winning streak. Since falling to Keene State, Eastern Connecticut has returned to the win column just once – they defeated Rhode Island College at home before falling to Plymouth State this past weekend. Eastern Connecticut appears to be the front-runner for the LEC regular season champion, but knows a loss to Keene State could change help the Owls secure the top spot in the conference’s tournament.

MIT at No. 1 Babson (Sat. Feb. 18^th | Men’s Basketball): In their first meeting, the Engineers appeared destined to hand the Beavers their initial conference setback. However, that possibility was dashed by a second half comeback, which saw Babson net 54 points in a 20-minute session. Since the win, Babson has extended its current winning streak to 11 consecutive games, while MIT has kept pace with the Green and White by winning four of their last five. This game will be both teams’ final tune-up before entering the NEWMAC Tournament. And don’t be surprised if the game produces more dramatics than the initial meeting in Cambridge.