Feb 20, 2019 3 min read

Cal slotted fourth

in region rankings

The California University women’s basketball team was tabbed fourth in the initial NCAA Division II Atlantic regional rankings, which were released on Wednesday afternoon.

The NCAA regional rankings determine the participants for the NCAA Tournament. The Atlantic Region consists of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Mountain East Conference (MEC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). All three conference tournament champions receive an automatic bid with the top-five remaining teams in the final regional rankings receiving at-large bids.

Defending-regional champion IUP was the top-ranked team in the initial rakings with a 19-1 overall NCAA Division II record and a 19-1 mark against in-region opponents. Defending-CIAA Champion Virginia Union (21-2, 18-2) and MEC-leading Glenville State (21-2) are slotted second and third, respectively. Cal U and Bowie State (19-4, 17-4) complete the top five in the regional rankings.

Edinboro (16-6), West Liberty (17-7, 17-6), Charleston (W.Va.) (18-5), Concord (19-5) and Bloomsburg (16-8) rounded out the top 10 in the initial rankings.

The Vulcans (21-3) have posted a 4-2 record this season against the region’s top-10 teams and will play one more game against regionally-ranked IUP this weekend. Cal U, which is ranked No. 18 in the country, has already clinched a berth in the PSAC Tournament with four games left in the regular season.

The regional rankings will be released on each of the next two Wednesdays before the final rankings and tournament selections are announced on March 10.

Highlands top BV

Johnny Crise scored 29 points to push Highlands past belle Vernon, 75-67, in a WPIAL 4A first-round playoff game.

Luke Cochran scored 17 points and Dom Pesci 16 for Highlands.

Cam Nusser had 26 points and eight assists for BV. Larry Calllaway had 21 and Mitchell Pohlot 17.

Duke star injured

Freshman sensation Zion Williamson was knocked out of the North Carolina-Duke rivalry game by a knee injury after his Nike shoe blew out during the top-ranked Blue Devils’ opening possession.

Williamson grabbed his right knee in pain after slipping awkwardly and falling when his left shoe fell apart as he planted while dribbling near the free throw line Wednesday night.

Williamson, the ACC’s second-leading scorer at 22.4 points per game and arguably the most exciting player in college basketball, walked off with a slight limp but under his own power before heading back to the locker room with no shoes on his feet.

Spieth caddie

leaves Mexico

The caddie for Jordan Spieth has left the Mexico Championship because of the death of his father.

Michael Greller, the former sixth-grade math teacher from the Seattle area and only caddie Spieth has had as a pro, learned that John Greller had died Tuesday night.

Spieth’s father, Shawn, caddied nine holes of practice Wednesday and will be on the bag the rest of the week at Chapultepec Golf Club.

Shawn Spieth only goes to a handful of tournaments outside the majors and wasn’t planning to be in Mexico City this week until he decided to fly down from Dallas on Tuesday, before Greller learned that his father had died.