Basketball Liberty League Playoffs Weekend
This past weekend was difficult for St. Lawrence Men’s Basketball, as it had playoff seeding as well as home-court advantage repercussions. Going into the weekend, the men’s basketball team was tied with Skidmore College for first place in the Liberty League.
The critical game against Skidmore would be the deciding factor for playoff seeding. St. Lawrence entered the Saturday game with a significantly high motivation to win, given the tough loss the previous night against R.P.I., and also knowing that first place in the Liberty League was on the line.
If St. Lawrence won against Skidmore this past weekend, they would have had the tie-breaker even though both teams would have had the same record (14-4), because of the third tie-breaker in the Liberty League. Hobart is the third seeded team, and St. Lawrence’s record against them is 2-0, whereas Skidmore split with them at 1-1.
Unfortunately, this did not happen as St. Lawrence was defeated by Skidmore in a heartbreaking 65-54 loss in overtime. The score was tied at 51 at the end of regulation.
In overtime, St. Lawrence scored only three points, while Skidmore scored 14. Skidmore made timely shots that swung the momentum of the game, eventually resulting in the loss for St. Lawrence.
This loss makes Skidmore the number one seed in the Liberty League. They will host the Liberty League Semifinals and Championship in Saratoga Springs. They also receive a bye through the Liberty League quarter final on Tuesday. They will play the winner of the Quarterfinal between Ithaca College and RPI in the Liberty League Semifinal on Saturday.
St. Lawrence is the second seed in the Liberty League, and they also have a bye, so they will not have to play in the quarter final on Tuesday either. St. Lawrence will play the winner of the quarter final between Hobart College and Bard College in the Liberty League Semifinal on Saturday.
The St. Lawrence men’s team is looking forward to these games, as they are not only an opportunity to win the Liberty League but also a chance to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. If St. Lawrence wins both the Conference Semifinal and the Conference Championship, they will be on there way to playing for a national title.