scotty wood tournament this weekend

A potential matchup of top-10 women’s basketball teams highlights the 2009 Scotty Wood Tournament, which will take place this Friday and Saturday at Memorial Hall.

This is the 28th year for the annual tipoff tournament, named for Wood Dining Services founder Milton W. (Scotty) Wood, and the field is as strong as ever.

The four teams in the women’s half of the bracket combined for a record of 81-33 last year, with Muhlenberg reaching the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Tournament and Scranton advancing to the “Elite 8.” In the Division III preseason polls, the Mules (26-4 last year) are ranked 10th and the Royals (26-5) are fifth and fourth. They are also the last two Scotty Wood champions. Scranton, which features D3hoops.com first-team preseason All-America Megan Kopecki, won in 2007, and Muhlenberg defeated William Paterson in last year’s final for its fifth title in six years.

Before they can face each other, however, the two teams have to get past their first-round opponents. Scranton opens the tournament with a game against Alvernia, which went 18-10 last year and handed Muhlenberg one of its four losses. The Mules’ first-round game is against Pitt-Bradford (11-14).

The men’s side welcomes Moravian back for the first time since it won the Scotty Wood Tournament in 2003. Also returning is first-year Mule head coach Scott McClary, who as head coach of Marymount lost to Muhlenberg in the Scotty Wood championship game last year.

The Mules (16-11) open up with Oneonta State, a team they defeated to win the 2005 Scotty Wood championship. The Red Dragons went 16-10 last year and tied for first place in the State University of New York Athletic Conference. Moravian (10-15) plays its first-round game against William Paterson (20-7).

Scotty Wood Tournament schedule
Friday, November 20
  1:00 Alvernia vs. Scranton (women)
  3:00 Moravian vs. William Paterson (men)
  6:00 Muhlenberg vs. Pitt-Bradford (women)
  8:00 Muhlenberg vs. Oneonta State (men)

Saturday, November 21
  1:00 women’s consolation
  3:00 men’s consolation
  6:00 women’s championship
  8:00 men’s championship

All tournament games will be streamed live at www.livestream.com/muhlenberg.