Gettysburg College women hope home court leads to Centennial crown

The Gettysburg College women's basketball team will aim to make the most of its first experience as the top team in the conference when the Bullets host the Centennial Conference Championship Friday and Saturday in Bream Gym.

Gettysburg (19-6, 16-4 Centennial) earned the top seed in the conference for the first time in the 20-year history of the event.

"I think it's awesome, first of all, because it's the first time we've ever had the opportunity," head coach Mike Kirkpatrick said. "Secondly, we don't have to travel and the kids get to sleep in their own beds and have a normal routine. I think it's a great thing."

Gettysburg has not hosted a conference championship in nearly three decades. The last time the Bullets hosted a championship game was in 1985 when the team won the Middle Atlantic Conference Southern Division title. Gettysburg has hosted only one Centennial Conference playoff game, beating McDaniel 79-71 in the opening round of the 2008 postseason event.

The inexperience in postseason play at home is countered by the success inside Bream Gym this winter. The Bullets are 11-2 inside the friendly confines and have not lost since a 53-52 decision to Swarthmore on Dec. 8.

Gettysburg is suffocating its opponents on its own floor, holding teams to 28-percent shooting from the field and 46.6 points per game.

Gettysburg could claim to be the hottest team in the conference heading into the postseason. Since the beginning of 2013, the Bullets have

won 15 of 17 contests, falling only to Ursinus by two points and Johns Hopkins by seven. The team grabbed the top seed thanks to a defense that leads the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (48.1 points per game).

To Kirkpatrick, the key to winning the conference title will come down to more than just a solid defensive effort. Gettysburg was outrebounded in five of its six losses this season.

"I think the biggest thing for us is to rebound," said the coach. "If we're rebounding really well, I think we have a good shot, no matter who we play. If we're not rebounding that day, I think it's a toss-up and something else special needs to happen."

The Centennial Conference playoffs began with Johns Hopkins' 64-59 win over Haverford on Wednesday. Johns Hopkins will draw the Bullets in the first semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday. Muhlenberg and Swarthmore facing each other in the second game at 8 p.m. The championship game is set for 7 p.m. Saturday.

Source: http://www.eveningsun.com/localsports/ci_22632015/gettysburg-college-women-hope-home-court-leads-centennial?source=rss

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