| Colin Dougherty and Hobart started their season on the right foot by upsetting No. 19 St. John Fisher. Photo by Hobart athletics |
Opening night for the new season featured big wins y Hobart and St. Norbert and a pair of upset wins for ODAC women's teams over ranked CAC foes.
- Wednesday's scoreboard: Men | Women
- More headlines: Men | Women
- Conference alignment changes for new season
- Get caught up on offseason coaching changes
Hobart bested No. 19 St. John Fisher 87-75 in a battle of preseason conference favorites. The Statesmen, who were picked first in the Liberty League preseason poll, shot 56 percent in the first half and built a 48-32 halftime lead on the visiting Cardinals. The Statesmen led by as many as 23 in the second half and got double-digit scoring performances from four starters. Colin Dougherty paced Hobart with 17 points and six assists while Sammy Robinson had 20 points for St. John Fisher.
No. 14 Christopher Newport shut out Randolph-Macon for the final 75 seconds and rallied past the Yellow Jackets 69-64. Daniel Noe's jumper with 1:15 remaining put Randolph-Macon in front 64-62. Jason Aigner, who scored 15 points off the bench in his collegiate debut, answered with a three for Christopher Newport and the Captains made four free throws in the final minute to close out the victory. The Captains won despite top returning starter Marcus Carter playing just five minutes as he returns from an injury. Box score
St. Norbert watched a double-digit lead turn into a deficit against UW-Eau Claire before the Green Knights rallied for a 77-69 win. D.J. DeValk keyed the comeback with a layup, two free throws and an assist on a Joe Lemon three-pointer in the final four minutes. DeValk scored 25 points for St. Norbert, which went 1-2 against WIAC foes last season.
No. 7 Babson opened its title defense by dominating Lasell 95-64. Tim Hasbargen, who transferred to Babson from Division I Cleveland State, scored 31 points for the Beavers. Last seasons' other national finalist also opened the new season with a victory as No. 2 Augustana handled Heidelberg 73-64.
Several teams started their season with local rivalry games. Marcus Curry scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 18 Guilford topped crosstown rival Greensboro, 98-88. A few days after Ithaca beat Cortland in the Cortaca Jug football rivalry, the Red Dragons returned the favor on the hard court with a 70-66 victory. Cabrini beat Eastern 82-68 in the Battle of Eagle Road.
Women's recap: Big night for ODAC
The ODAC scored a pair of upset wins over ranked CAC foes as Randolph-Macon held off Marymount and Washington and Lee topped Mary Washington.
Randolph-Macon jumped out to a big lead over No. 14 Marymount and then held on for a 78-73 victory. The Yellow Jackets outscored the Saints 23-9 in the first quarter and expanded the lead to 19 at the start of the fourth. Marymount rallied all the way back within two points with nine seconds left but Kelly Williams hit three free throws for Randolph-Macon to put the game out of reach. Box score
Washington and Lee used a 20-6 run over the final 4:44 to drive past No. 24 Mary Washington 60-55. Senior Emily Perszyk and freshman Katie Popp each scored 13 points in the fourth quarter for the Generals. Perszyk finished with 28 points on 7-for-17 shooting from the field. Box score
Brandi Vallely and Chelsea Gary posted double-doubles for Muhlenberg and the Mules topped Lehigh Valley rival Moravian, 79-71. Vallely tallied 21 points, 14 assists, six rebounds and four steals for the defending Centennial Conference champions. The Mules limited preseason All-American Camille McPherson to 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting. Box score
In a battle of first-year head coaches, Lauren Sumski and Rhodes defeated Misha Jackson and Emory 76-64. Allie Young scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Lynx. Sumski and Jackson were named head coach at their alma maters in the offseason.