Sports: CGA men will open NCAA Div. III basketball tournament at Brockport (N.Y.)
New London — Still soaring from an exhausting and emotionally draining, as well as improbable New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference championship run, Coast Guard Academy received its next challenge on Monday.
Gathered in the Alumni Center to watch the NCAA Division III tournament selection show, the Bears heartedly applauded when they learned they'll travel to western New York to face host Brockport (24-3) in the first round on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
It will be the program's fourth NCAA tourney appearance and first since 2008.
"We're thrilled to be in," coach Kevin Jaskiewicz said. "It's great to have our opponent and our staff can start planning. Players can take the day off (Monday) and get back in the gym tomorrow."
On Monday, senior Justin Kane wore the net around his neck from Sunday's celebration.
"It's something that we've never experienced before," Kane said. "To see our name pop up on the board, it means a lot and it's something that we'll definitely never forget. Especially having that run that we're on right now.
"Now we're zero and zero. And it's time to dance."
The upcoming six-hour plus ride to play their NCAA opener will be a treat compared to their difficult journey in the NEWMAC tournament. A No.
seed, they became the first team to capture three road games on the way to the title. They pulled it off during a five-day stretch.
On top of that, Coast Guard rallied from a 25-point second half deficit to beat host WPI in overtime in Sunday's final.
It's a feat that nearly borders on unbelievable. The players have been bombarded with text messages from friends, family and well-wishers.
"In our team group chat, guys were saying, 'I still can't believe this.' It's very surreal, honestly. There's not really many words to describe it," Kane said. "It's unbelievable. Since Oct. 15, we've been working hard so it's very rewarding."
The Bears (14-13) begin NCAA tournament play riding a season-best seven game winning streak. They've played a challenging schedule. Three of their NEWMAC foes — WPI (20-7), Springfield (22-4) and Babson (20-6) — made the 64-team field as at-large picks.
Brockport also is on a roll, winning 17 straight including beating SUNY Potsdam, 102-75, in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) championship on Saturday. The Golden Eagles, who earned their first NCAA trip since 2014, are undefeated at home (13-0).
It's just another obstacle for the Bears, who at one point this season lost nine of 11 games to slip to 7-13. They're regrouped and played their best basketball down the home stretch and carried the momentum right into conference tournament.
"We kept grinding," Jaskiewicz said. "We take a game-by-game mentality.
We're playing some of the best teams in the country. So, you look back, there were stretches in those games where we played really well. We just didn't play well enough, long enough. Then we started to do that.
"Every team comes together at different times during the season."
The Bears are eager to begin their NCAA journey. They're a veteran group, relying on six seniors. If they win on Friday, they'll face either Middlebury (20-5) or Westfield State (20-7), the other two teams playing in the Brockport, in the second round on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
"Getting into the playoffs for the first time for the seniors in four years, it means the world," Kane said. We're definitely on a high right now." g.keefe@theday.com