NEW LONDON, Conn. – Third-seeded Connecticut College will host sixth-seeded Amherst College in the quarterfinals of the 2024 NESCAC Men's Basketball Championship on Saturday afternoon at Luce Field House.  

Setting the Scene
The 2024 NESCAC Men's Basketball Championship tips off on Saturday with four quarterfinal games. The winners will advance to next weekend's semifinals and finals, which will be hosted by the highest remaining seed.

Quarterfinals - Saturday, Feb. 17 at higher seeds
No. 8 Hamilton at No. 1 Williams – 2:00 p.m.
No. 7 Wesleyan at No. 2 Trinity – 2:00 p.m.
No. 6 Amherst at No. 3 Conn College – 1:00 p.m.
No. 5 Middlebury at No. 4 Tufts – 2:00 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, Feb. 24 at highest remaining seed 
Lowest Remaining Seed vs. Highest Remaining Seed - 2:00/4:30 p.m.
Other Quarterfinal Winners - 2:00/4:30 p.m.

Finals - Sunday, Feb. 25 at Semifinal host
Semifinal Winners - 12 p.m.

Ticket Information
A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase at the door (cash only) on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at noon. 

Adults: $5
Seniors/Students/Ages 3+: $2
Kids Under 2: Free

Scouting the #3 Connecticut College Camels
2023-24 Record: 18-6, 8-2 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0

Conn College is the No. 3 seed for the first time since 2002 … The Camels will host a quarterfinal game for the first time since 2002 when they face No. 6 Amherst … Conn College registered an 80-62 win over Amherst on February 2 … The Mammoths won a 2006 quarterfinal match-up, 74-48, in the only meeting between the teams in the NESCAC Tournament … The Camels enter the tournament having won six of their last seven games … A win over Amherst would mark Conn College's first NESCAC Tournament win since 2001 and second in program history … The Camels' 18 wins are the most since the 2000-01 season.

Scouting the #6 Amherst College Mammoths
2023-24 Record: 14-10, 5-5 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 14 (last: 2019)
NESCAC Titles Won: 8 (last: 2019)

After a one-year hiatus Amherst returns to the NESCAC Championship … The 2024 tournament marks the Mammoths' 21st appearance in 23 championships … Amherst is the No. 6 seed for the first time since 2010 and will travel to No. 3 Connecticut College … The Camels registered an 80-62 win over Amherst on February 2 … The Mammoths won a 2006 quarterfinal match-up, 74-48, in the only meeting between the teams in the NESCAC Tournament … A win over Conn. College would send Amherst to the semifinals for the first time since 2020 … The Mammoths won their eighth and most recent NESCAC title in 2019.

All-Time Series
Saturday will be the 46th meeting between Conn College and Amherst since the series began in 1981-82. The Mammoths hold a 35-10 edge in the all-time series, but the Camels have won the last three meetings. 

Last Meeting (2/2/2024)
Conn College used an explosive first half to secure an 80-62 victory over Amherst College at Luce Field House. The Camels netted a season-high 50 points in the opening half and led for all but 1:19 of the contest. Conn pumped the lead to as many as 26 in the second half and was never threatened en route to its third-straight win over the Mammoths. Elias Espinosa paced four Camels in double figures with 17 points, 14 of which came in the opening 6:30 of the game. Charlie Randall posted a game-high 26 points on 11-for-23 shooting to lead the Mammoths.

Conn's NESCAC Championship History
The Camels are making their ninth appearance in the NESCAC Championship and have an all-time record of 1-8 in the tournament. The lone win came in 2001 at Wesleyan in the first round. Conn is also making its third-straight appearance in the NESCAC Championship for the first time in school history. Head coach Tim Sweeney is the third coach to lead the Camels to the postseason along with Tom Satran (four appearances) and Lynn Ramage (two appearances).

Last NESCAC Championship Meeting vs. Amherst (2/18/2006)
Top-seeded Amherst captured a 74-48 quarterfinal victory over eighth-seeded Connecticut College in the only previous postseason meeting between the two teams. The former Jeffs took control late in the first half, reeling off a 13-3 run and cruising into the locker room with a 44-28 edge. Amherst extended the lead to 22 in the first five minutes of the second frame, but the Camels battled back with seven straight points of their own and managed to keep pace. The Jeffs put the game to bed behind a 13-0 run, and John Bedford finished with a game-high 17 points. Jeff Young paced Conn with 16 points while Charles Stone added nine points and eight rebounds.

Regionally Ranked
Conn College has been ranked in the NCAA Regional Rankings that past two weeks. In the most recent edition, the Camels were slotted fourth in Region I behind fellow conference members Trinity (CT), Tufts and Williams. St. Joseph's (CT), Albertus Magnus and SUNY Morrisville rounded out the rankings. Conn last appeared in the regional rankings during the 2000-01 season.   

Home, Sweet Home
Conn is hosting the quarterfinals of the NESCAC Championship for only the second time in school history (2002). The Camels are riding an eight-game home winning streak and are 8-2 this season in Luce Field House, with the only losses coming against nationally-ranked Keene State (Nov. 21) and NYU (Dec. 2).