Massachusetts is well-represented in two sections of the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament this weekend, with a pair of teams two wins away from the Final Four.
Worcester Polytechnic (26-2) faces Rensselaer Polytechnic (23-5) of New York at 4:30 p.m. Friday in Ashland, Va., with the winner playing in the Elite Eight on Saturday night against either UMass-Dartmouth or regional host Randolph-Macon.
Friday Men’s Basketball - Sectional Semifinal (Sweet 16) at Randolph-Macon in Ashland, VA
— WPI Athletics (@WPIAthletics) March 11, 2022
4:30pm - vs. RPI
Video: https://t.co/sZf3QXlDGO
Live Stats: https://t.co/Z32anHgrES
The Engineers, on an 11-game win streak, won the NEWMAC conference tournament before coasting past both Vassar and Penn State-Harrisburg in the NCAA tournament. RPI – also the Engineers – has the top scoring defense in Division III at 57.5 points per game.
MORE COVERAGE | For WPI men's hoops team, defense dictates success
Perennial NESCAC power Williams, meanwhile, travels all the way to Bloomington, Ill., where the 19-4 Ephs will play 26-3 Wabash (Ind.) on Friday evening. Williams fell to Wesleyan – which lost to RPI in the NCAA second round – in overtime in the NESCAC tournament final, but rebounded with NCAA wins over Neumann and Stevens.
Men's Basketball heads to Bloomington, Ill. and the Campus of Illinois Wesleyan to Face Wabash in NCAA Sweet 16 Contest https://t.co/KHdv8i63RP pic.twitter.com/qtVRp8nMgd
— Williams College Ephs (@EphSports) March 9, 2022
The Williams-Wabash winner is guaranteed to meet a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin team in the Elite Eight, with regional host Illinois Wesleyan facing Wheaton (Ill.) in the other regional matchup.
The D-III Final Four will be held next weekend in Fort Wayne, Ind.