NDC opens play in MEC tournament

Men, women seeking D-II NCAA berths

Some notable firsts are within reach as the Notre Dame College women’s and men’s teams begin play in the Mountain East Conference tournaments at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W. Va.

In the women’s tournament quarterfinals on March 7, the No. 5 seed NDC women (15-13, 12-10 MEC) face No. 4 West Liberty (206, 17-5). Tipoff is 8:15 p.m.

In the men’s quarterfinals on March 8, MEC Player of the Year Will Vorhees and No. 3 seed NDC (20-8, 16-6 MEC) face No. 6 West Virginia State (12-16, 9-13 MEC). Tipoff is 2:15 p.m.

Vorhees averaged 28.9 points and 11.3 rebounds during the regular season. His career totals of 2,648 points and 1,124 rebounds are tops in NDC history.

Both teams are seeking their first MEC tournament titles since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season.

Both teams also are aiming to secure bids to the NCAA Division II tournaments for the first time since NDC’s basketball programs made the jump from NAIA to NCAA Division II seven years ago.

Winners of the MEC tournaments earn automatic bids to the NCAA Division II tournaments.

“Getting that first (NCAA) bid is a rallying point for our guys. They want to make history and leave their imprint on this program,” NDC coach Tim Koenig said.

Koenig was named MEC men’s Coach of the Year on March 5.

NDC junior guard Seina Adachi, averaging 17.4 points and 4.4 rebounds, earned first-team All-MEC honors for the second straight year.

Adachi and the Falcons face a tough draw in the quarterfinals. The Hilltoppers are led by 6-foot-3 senior post and MEC women’s player of the Year Marissa Brown (24.3 points, 13.1 rebounds).

The teams split the regular-season series, each winning on its home floor. Brown scored 61 points and grabbed 36 rebounds in the two games. Adachi totaled 54 points.

On the men’s side, NDC and West Virginia State also recorded victories on their home floors in the regular season.

Vorhees scored 54 points and grabbed 23 rebounds in the two games. Junior point guard Larenz Thurman, a first-team All-MEC honoree, added 49 points.

The Yellow Jackets are led by junior guard and second-team All-MEC pick Gus Stone (16.3 points).