Husson University faced Amherst and Bowdoin, teams ranked in the top five in the country, in its last two first-round games in the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament.
This time, North Atlantic Conference champion Eagles have a longer road trip, but will face an unranked team on Friday in SUNY New Paltz.
That might be little consolation, as New Paltz is 24-3 — 13-0 on its home court — and has won 13 straight games.
It is Husson’s fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance while SUNY New Paltz is making its fourth in five years. The Hawks won two NCAA Tournament games last season, when they went 25-5.
DeSales (23-4) College of Pennsylvania and Smith College of Massachusetts (24-4) square off in the other game at the New Paltz regional. Game times have not been announced.
Husson lost 66-45 at Amherst last season and was defeated 94-32 at Bowdoin two years ago. In 2017, the Eagles went 1-1 at Tufts, beating DeSales.
Bowdoin College of Brunswick (25-2), the Division III runner-up the last two seasons, hosts Brooklyn (21-6) in its first-round matchup. New York University (20-5) and Emmanuel(21-7) play the 5 p.m. opener.
Husson coach Kissy Walker and her players are looking forward to playing someone different, even if it means a 445-mile bus trip to New York.
“It’s exciting to play a new team and explore a new place,” Husson senior center Sami Ireland of Howland said.
“We have nothing to lose and we don’t have that fear that we’d have if we were playing Tufts, Bowdoin or Amherst,” she added. “I didn’t want to go to Bowdoin and get blown out.”
Husson sophomore guard Sydney Allen, the NAC Tournament Most Valuable after averaging 23 points, likes variety.
“Playing all of these different higher-up level competition teams and different types of teams is a very good experience,” Allen said.
Allen added that she likes the unpredictability of playing somebody new.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” the Corinth native said.
Former Hampden Academy star Bailey Donovan, a 6-3 senter who was named the NAC Rookie of the Year, said it will be interesting to see how Husson matches up.
“Their tallest player is six feet so, hopefully, that will be an advantage for us,” said Donovan, who was chosen to the all-tourney team along with Allen and Husson senior guard-forward Joan Overman.
Walker said Husson is definitely the underdog but is happy to get her younger players some tournament experience.
“Hopefully, we’ll play hard and play well,” said Walker, whose team has won 15 of its last 16 games with the only loss coming against Bowdoin. “We’re playing better than we played earlier this season. We have more confidence.”