DARTMOUTH, Mass. - UMass Dartmouth has advanced to the Sweet 16 after two comeback wins over Emerson (86-83) and Nazareth (78-68), and will face the Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets, who are the number one team in the nation. Friday night's contest marks the first meeting in men's basketball between UMass Dartmouth and Randolph-Macon. The Corsairs and Yellow Jackets don't share any common opponents from the 2021-22 schedule.
TOURNAMENT TIME
UMass Dartmouth is making its 15th appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship and first since 2009. The Corsairs earned one of the 20 Pool C bids into the 64-team national field. UMass Dartmouth is making just its second appearance as an at-large recipient, joining the 2008 team. The Corsairs sport an all-time record of 18-15 (.545) in the Big Dance.
HOW SWEET IT IS
The Corsairs are making their seventh appearance in program history in the Sweet 16. UMass Dartmouth advanced to the sectional round in 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2001, and 2009. The Corsairs reached the national quarterfinals in 1993, when UMass Dartmouth edged SUNY Geneseo 68-66.
CARDIAC CORSAIRS
UMass Dartmouth advanced to the sectional round with a pair of heart-pounding victories this past weekend in Rochester, N.Y., defeating Emerson College and host Nazareth College. The Corsairs erased a 21-point deficit when Isaac Percy sank a three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to power the Corsairs to an 86-83 victory over the Lions. UMass Dartmouth utilized a 24-4 run to close regulation to overcome a 12-point deficit with just over eight minutes left on the clock and advance to the Sweet 16 with a 78-68 win over the host Golden Flyers.
EYE ON HISTORYÂ
The Corsairs compiled an overall record of 26-4 and sit one victory shy of matching the program's single-season wins record. UMass Dartmouth established a single-season standard 27 victories in 1986-87 when the Corsairs sported a 27-1 mark. The 2008-09 cagers tied the program record with an overall record of 27-4.
PRIMETIME MATCHUP
The D3 Hoops world will have their eyes on this game. The top-two point guards in the country go in senior Marcus Azor (17.4 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 7.9 apg, 2.5 spg, 1.4 bpg) and Randolph-Macon senior Buzz Anthony (17.6 ppg, 7.3 apg, 4.2 rpg, 2.0 spg).Â
HE'S THE BOSS
Head Coach Brian Baptiste is the active Division III leader in victories with a career record of 696-357 during his 39 years on the UMass Dartmouth bench. In fact, Wartburg College's Dick Perth's (608) and Baptiste are the only active coaches to eclipse the 600-win barrier. Baptiste ranks among the top-10 Division III coaches in career wins. Baptiste started the 2021-22 campaign ranked 10th, but moved past Washington Univesity's Mark Edwards into ninth on the all-time lists.
THE OTHER GAMEÂ
No. 13 Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Rensselear Polytechnic Institute will square off at 5pm in the opening Sectional Semifinal contest hosted by Randolph-Macon. WPI (26-2) captured the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship to secure an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, while RPI (23-5) qualified as an at-large recipient after winning the Liberty League regular-season title.
WHAT'S NEXTÂ
The two advancing teams from Friday's Sweet 16 contests will meet Saturday evening, March 12 at 7:30pm, for a spot in the Final Four.
