By Justin Zackal
As the top seed in this week’s PAC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament, Grove City isn’t worried about losing in the early rounds. Last year, as the No. 2 seed, the Wolverines lost in the semifinals, and so did top seed Saint Vincent.
So instead they must be focussed on winning, right?
Well, not exactly.
Grove City was concerned about winning to begin the season before starting 1-4 and eventually 2-2 in the PAC. But then the Wolverines won 12 straight for the team’s longest win streak in 95 years.
“We’re not saying, ‘We’ve got to win a PAC Championship;’ that was our goal at the start of the season and the way we played the first four games, we were playing not to lose,” said Steve Lamie, Grove City’s 22nd-year head coach. “We play to a standard, and that’s it. If we don’t reach the standard, that’s fine; we’ll live with the consequences. But we’re not going to play to win because then we’ll end up playing tight.”
Lamie spoke to his team down before practice after it started the season 1-4 and delivered a similar message, one that even the coach needed to hear.
“Never in my 33 years did I talk about winning (like I did before the season),” Lamie said. “I was drinking the Kool-Aid and they were all nervous and played that way. I didn’t adhere to my own philosophy to playing to a standard and let the process take care of itself. It sounds simple, but it’s gospel truth for us.”
That standard has served the Wolverines well as they secured the top seed even before a 74-52 loss last Wednesday at Westminster, a team that beat Grove City in the semifinals last year, 59-48.
Below is a look at each of the eight teams that qualified for the tournament, which will consist of quarterfinal games 7 p.m. Tuesday, semifinals on Thursday at 7 p.m. and the finals on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Each game will be hosted by the higher seeded team. The tournament champion will receive an automatic berth to the 64-team NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, which will begin March 6.
#1 GROVE CITY (17-8, 13-3 PAC)
The Wolverines are seeking their eighth PAC title but their first since 2010. Four of their bench players see between 12-16 minutes per game, as Lamie will often sub in multiple players every whistle.
“Everyone is willing to play whatever role there is,” Lamie said. “Some guys are literally playing 30 seconds and going back to the bench. Our team’s buy-in is a big part of (our success).”
Another big part is 6-foot-7 forward James Wells (15.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg), who scored at least 20 points in five of the last 11 games.
“James Wells is our best player,” Lamie said. “And this last month was the best he’s played in the three years that he’s been here. That’s huge when your best player is playing well.”
#2 CHATHAM (16-9, 11-5 PAC)
The defending champs are out to prove that last year’s title run as the No. 4 seed was no fluke. The Cougars won at third-seeded Westminster, 64-61, in the finals last year, but this year they’ll have bigger targets on their chests, one that senior guard Will Sandherr (16.4 ppg) doesn’t mind wearing.
#3 WESTMINSTER (15-10, 10-6 PAC)
The Titans, who won their only PAC title in 2004, came close last year at home, where they’ve been tough this year, going 11-1. Westminster’s last three PAC losses were all on the road, two were in overtime and the last was by two at Saint Vincent, 74-72. Westminster has the league’s top scoring offense (75.8 ppg), led by senior guard Dylan O’Hara (18.7 ppg).
#4 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON (14-11, 9-7 PAC)
The Presidents, who have won nine PAC titles but none since 1995, had won four straight games before losing 74-72 at Grove City Saturday. They’ll look to stay hot and rely on a defense (68.8 ppg) that is second only to Grove City in the PAC.
#5 GENEVA (12-13, 8-8 PAC)
The Golden Tornadoes are streaky, losing four straight, then winning five, then losing three. Luckily for them, they enter the PAC tournament having won their last two games. Geneva is led by senior forward Ethan Moose (16.6 ppg), the league’s second-leading scorer. Moose made a timely return to the lineup in the GT’s regular season finale following a two-game absence due to injury.
#6 SAINT VINCENT (12-13, 7-9 PAC)
Last year’s top seed won four straight PAC titles from 2013-16, but unless the Bearcats win at least two games, they’ll finish below .500 for the first time since 2010. Like Geneva, Saint Vincent has had a roller coaster season that includes a six-game winning streak and a six-game losing streak. The Bearcats have lost two straight entering the tournament.
#7 WAYNESBURG (6-19, 6-10 PAC)
The Yellow Jackets, under first-year head coach Tim Fusina, haven’t won a PAC title since 1996 and haven’t come close since a runner-up finish in 2015. Playing without standout guard Matt Popeck for nearly the entire season, the Jackers have been paced by 6-11 center Isaiah Alonzo (14.3 ppg).
#8 THIEL (6-17, 5-11 PAC)
The Tomcats rebound well, with a +5.8 average margin that ranks second in the PAC, but a lot of their boards are on their own misses, as they shoot only 38.5% from the field. Thiel was swept by Grove City, their quarterfinal round opponent, in the regular season but only by a combined five points in the two losses. Thiel is seeking its first PAC title since 2000.
The Geneva-W&J quarterfinal game will be streamed live on the PAC Sports Network, as well as one semifinal game and the final. For a broadcast schedule, visit: http://www.pacstream.net/broadcasts/.
