Men's Basketball Looks To Be Semi-Tough Thursday Evening As 12th-Ranked Skyhawks Tangle With Winona State In NCAA Division II National Semi-Finals, Game To Be Televised Live Nationally On CSTV, NESN

March 23, 2006

2005-2006 Stonehill College Men's Basketball

8:30 p.m. EST

SEMI-TOUGH...: Stonehill sets its sights on national semi-final round play this evening as the 12th-ranked Skyhawks square off with the Winona State (Minn.) Warriors in the 2006 NCAA Division II national semi-finals and the right to play for the national championship. Stonehill advanced to its first-ever "fab four" appearance last night with a 69-59 victory over 13th-ranked Tarleton State (Tex.) in the national quarterfinals here at the Mass Mutual Center. Senior Marquis Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif./Naval Prep) notched his 17th career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in the triumph for the Skyhawks, who also received 17 points, five assists and four steals from senior Chris Kraus (Markham, Ont./Markham District). Junior Soap Toun (Cranston, R.I./Cranston East) came off the bench to score 12 points on four key three-pointers for the winners, who also received nine points, six rebounds and four steals from junior Lance Clarke (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin) as well as nine points and four caroms from senior co-captain Sean Nelson (Milford, Mass./Milford). Stonehill overcame a sluggish start to outscore Tarleton State by a 30-6 margin from behind the three-point arc, as the Skyhawks connected for 10 three-pointers and forced 20 Texan turnovers that led to 17 points in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Winona State, winners of 20 straight contests dating back to January 13th, advanced to the national semi-finals by posting an 86-73 overtime victory over Barton in quarterfinal round play last night here at the Mass Mutual Center.

SEE THE THREE, BE THE THREE: In four games during the 2006 NCAA Division II championships, Stonehill has connected for 46 three-pointers, including 10 in last night's quarterfinal win over Tarleton State. The Skyhawks are shooting 42 percent from three-point range during the tournament to date.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN: Marquis Taylor notched his 10th double-double effort of the season in last night's win over Tarleton State with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and he has collected 17 career double-doubles to date.

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY...: Tonight's game will be televised live nationally by College Sports Television (CSTV), with Bob Picozzi and Dan Bonner calling the action. The game will also be televised in New England via the New England Sports Network. As an institution, Stonehill is making its second appearance on CSTV in less than 10 months, as the defending NCAA national champion women's lacrosse team appeared on CSTV in last year's national title match at West Chester.

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN...: Stonehill became the second straight Northeast-10 Conference team to eliminate Tarleton State from the Elite Eight, as Bryant topped the Texans in the 2005 NCAA national semi-finals in Grand Forks, N.D.

THE ANSWER IS FOUR...: Men's Basketball becomes the third Stonehill athletic program to advance to the NCAA Division II national semi-finals in the calendar year alone, as the women's lacrosse team turned the trick last May en route to its second national title in three seasons and the Skyhawk field hockey team advanced to the "fab four" last November.

ON THE OFFENSIVE: After being ranked in several conference and national team defensive categories during the course of the season, Stonehill used an offensive push to advance to the Elite Eight during the NCAA Northeast Regionals. The Skyhawks averaged 84.7 points per game in their three regional outings, shot 55 percent from the field overall and connected on nearly 50 percent of its attempts from three-point range, hitting for 36 treys total.

VICTORY MARCH: The March 11th 96-77 quarterfinal round victory over Bloomfield enabled Stonehill to set a single-season school record for wins with its 24th triumph of the season, surpassing the previous mark of 23 victories set during the 1988-89 campaign. Over the last two seasons alone, the Skyhawks have won 47 games under Head Coach David McLaughlin's tutelage.

THE GAMES WE PLAY: Last night's contest against Tarleton State marked the 33rd game of the season for Stonehill, setting a single-season school record in that category as well. The 1988-89 squad played 32 games to hold the previous high water mark.

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY: Stonehill is the fourth straight Northeast-10 Conference school to represent the NCAA Northeast Region at the Elite Eight, as UMass Lowell (2003 & 2004) and Bryant (2005) held the league mantle prior to the Skyhawks' regional title last week. Northeast-10 member American International is also serving as a co-host of this year's Elite Eight in Springfield.

COMMONWEALTH KIDS: Stonehill is playing its 11th straight game in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with tonight's match-up with Winona State, as the Skyhawks last played outside the state on February 12th at Franklin Pierce (Rindge, New Hampshire). Stonehill is 9-1 in those previous 10 contests played in its home state dating back to February 15th.

THE SERIES: Tonight's match-up will be the first-ever between Stonehill and Winona State. In fact, the Skyhawks have never previously faced any of the other teams in this year's Elite Eight field, including the other two semi-finalists in Seattle Pacific and Virginia Union.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior Marquis Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif./Naval Prep) was named last Wednesday as the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week for his efforts during Stonehill's run to the NCAA Northeast Regional championship. Taylor averaged 19.7 points, seven rebounds and 1.3 steals en route to earning tournament Most Outstanding Player honors, including 23 points and six boards in the 89-80 title game win over UMass Lowell. Taylor notched his 16th career double-double effort of 23 points and 10 caroms in the 69-54 semi-final win over Adelphi and added 13 points in the 96-77 quarterfinal round triumph over Bloomfield. Marquis shot 61 percent (20-33) from the field, 55 percent (6-11) from three-point range and 87 percent (13-15) from the foul line for the week.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Freshman Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) was named last Wednesday as the Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season for his efforts during Stonehill's run to the NCAA Northeast Regional championship. The 2005-2006 Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year averaged 12.8 points and 5.7 rebounds during the tournament, including a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in the quarterfinal round triumph over Bloomfield and 11 points in the title game victory over UMass Lowell. Smith shot 71 percent (10-14) from three-point range and 60 percent overall (12-20) during the regionals.

HONOR ROLL HONOREES: Seniors Chris Kraus (Markham, Ont./Markham District), Sean Nelson (Milford, Mass./Milford) and Mike Lauricella (Norwood, N.J./Don Bosco) each earned spots on the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll last Wednesday for their efforts in Stonehill's run to the NCAA Northeast Regional championship. Kraus earned all-tournament honors in averaging 15 points, 7.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds during the tournament, including a double-double effort of 20 points and 10 assists in the championship game win over UMass Lowell and 13 points, seven assists and six boards in the semi-final triumph over Adelphi. Nelson averaged 15 points, 5.3 rebounds and one block during the tournament, including 17 points and four assists in the title game win over UMass Lowell and 21 points and eight caroms in the quarterfinal triumph over Bloomfield. Lauricella averaged 6.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds during the regionals, including 10 points and a game-high seven rebounds in the championship game win over UMass Lowell.

GREAT EIGHT: Stonehill is making its first NCAA tournament appearance in eight years and its eighth overall, as the Skyhawks last appeared in the "Big Dance" in 1998 by advancing to the Northeast Regional championship game (a Sweet Sixteen berth) and dropping a heartbreaking double-overtime decision to Saint Rose. Stonehill earned its first NCAA tournament bid in 1971 and again entered "Bracketville" in 1973. The Skyhawks made three straight appearances in the tournament from 1980 through 1982 and also made trips during the 1989 and 1998 campaigns.

FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS, UNCHARTED TERRITORY: Stonehill is playing its third game in the last 33 days in the City of Springfield, as the Skyhawks bested co-host American International in a Northeast-10 Conference outing back on February 18th prior to last night's win over Tarleton State here at the Mass Mutual Center.

THE SKYHAWKS: Taylor leads Stonehill in scoring and rebounding at 16.6 ppg and 6.9 caroms per contest, while Nelson follows at 13.4 ppg and adds 5.5 rpg. Kraus is next at 11.4 ppg while adding 5.6 apg and 2.3 spg, while Clarke is also in double figures for the Skyhawks at 10.3 ppg.

THE WARRIORS: Senior David Zellman leads Winona State in scoring at 19 ppg, while sophomore John Smith follows at 17 ppg and leads the Warriors on the boards at 10.1 caroms per contest. Junior Zach Malvik is next at 13.4 ppg, while sophomore Jonte Flowers is also in double figures for Winona State at 10.9 ppg.

IT'S A PURPLE AND WHITE NIGHT...: Though they have never met on the basketball court, Stonehill and Winona State do share something in common--they have the same school colors (Purple and White). In fact, Stonehill's opponent in the national quarterfinals, Tarleton State, also had school colors of Purple and White.

HEAD COACH DAVID McLAUGHLIN: David McLaughlin is in his third season as Head Men's Basketball Coach at Stonehill College. A 1997 graduate of Colby, McLaughlin has guided the Skyhawks to a 52-26 (.667) mark during his tenure after previously serving as an assistant coach, and he has led Stonehill to back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time in 24 years. McLaughlin, who is assisted by Derik Malone (Babson '91), Josh Meyer (Wesleyan '00) and Mike Harding (Bowdoin '03), sports a 6-2 post-season mark and has never previously faced Winona State in his career.

NIFTY FIFTY: David McLaughlin recorded his 50th career victory at Stonehill with the March 12th Northeast Regional semi-final round triumph over Adelphi, as 47 of those triumphs have come over the last two seasons alone with back-to-back 20-plus win campaigns.

HEAD COACH MIKE LEAF: Mike Leaf is in his eighth season as Head Men's Basketball Coach at Winona State University. A 1983 graduate of Saint Mary's, Leaf has guided the Warriors to an overall mark of 151-87 (.634) during his tenure, and he is assisted by Tom Brown, Chris Gove, Josh Drinkall and Brady Moore. Leaf has never previously faced Stonehill during his career.

STREAK BUSTERS?...: Stonehill is facing its second NCAA tournament foe with a long winning streak entering the contest, as the Skyhawks ended Adelphi's 19-game winning streak in the Northeast Regional semi-finals on March 12th. Winona State enters tonight's action riding a 20-game winning streak.

TWENTY-TWENTY VISION: Stonehill has posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time in 24 years, as the Skyhawks also won 20 contests last season under David McLaughlin's tutelage. Stonehill last posted back-to-back 20-win seasons during the 1980-81 and 1981-82 campaigns under the late Tom Folliard, as those squads posted identical 21-9 marks en route to claiming two straight Northeast-7 championships.

PRE-SEASON PROGNOSTICATION PREDICAMENT: For the second straight season, Stonehill has proven the pre-season Northeast-10 prognostications wrong, as the Skyhawks finished tied for first in the final league standings after being picked for eighth place in the pre-season coaches poll. Stonehill was picked 14th in the 2004-2005 pre-season poll and finished tied for third.

THEY CALL IT THE STREAK: Stonehill's recent 12-game winning streak matched the longest such skein in school history, as the 1970-71 squad also posted 12 consecutive victories during that campaign. The Skyhawks have posted a 12-game win streak and an eight-game win skein under David McLaughlin's guidance in the last calendar year alone.

AYE, AYE CAPTAINS: Seniors Mike Lauricella (Norwood, N.J./Don Bosco) and Sean Nelson (Milford, Mass./Milford) have been named as co-captains for the 2005-2006 edition of Stonehill men's basketball. Lauricella, who also served as a Skyhawk captain last season, averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds off the bench last season, while Nelson added 5.6 points and 3.4 caroms per contest in a reserve role as well last winter for Stonehill.

GENERATION GAP: Stonehill's 14-1 start to the season was the Skyhawks' best in 56 years, as the first Stonehill was 15-1 under Head Coach George Sullivan during the 1949-50 season.

NATIONAL RANK AND FILE: Stonehill is ranked 12th in the final National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II national poll released on March 7th, as the Skyhawks have been ranked as high as 10th nationally this season. Prior to December 20th, the last time Stonehill appeared in the NABC Top 25 came in March 1998 during the Skyhawks' NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" campaign. Here is the March 7th NABC Division II poll:

RankSchool (first place votes)RecordPointsPrevious Rank

1Delta State (8)29-12001

2Saint Joseph's30-21922

3Virginia Union25-31843

4Grand Valley State27-3171T6

5Winona State26-4166T6

6Southwest Baptist26-415610

7Montevallo26-41474

8Fort Hays State26-31415

9Barton24-313712

10Seattle Pacific22-512817

11Findlay25-41148

12Stonehill23-69215

13Tarleton State24-69113

14Minnesota State-Mankato23-68819

15Northern State25-58414

16Western Washington21-6779

17Southern Indiana25-67311

18Shippensburg24-65318

19Alderson-Broaddus22-65116

20Armstrong Atlantic State23-749T22

21Alabama-Huntsville22-73921

22West Virginia State26-638NR

23Saint Anselm23-732NR

24Central Missouri State23-72824

25Mount Olive23-61525

Others Receiving Votes: Columbus State 12, SIU Edwardsville 11, Johnson C. Smith 8, Rollins 5, Bentley 4, Quincy 4, Cal State-Bakersfield 3, Chaminade 2, West Texas A&M 2, Ashland 1, Bryant 1, Nebraska-Kearney 1.

POLL POSITION: Stonehill is the only Northeast-10 school to have both its men's and women's basketball squads ranked in their respective Division II national polls, as the women's squad is ranked 25th in this week's WBCA national poll. The Stonehill women have been ranked as high as ninth this season, while the men's team has been rated as high as 10th.

MORE RANK AND FILE: Five Stonehill athletic teams have now cracked the top 10 in their respective sports during the 2005-2006 academic year: Field Hockey (#4), Men's Cross Country (#9), Men's Basketball (#10) and Women's Basketball (#9). The defending national champion Skyhawk women's lacrosse team has been picked as the top-ranked team in Division II circles as well in the Lacrosse Magazine pre-season poll.

AND THE AWARDS GO TO: Stonehill College freshman forward Nick Smith was named as the 2005-2006 Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year in a vote of the league's coaches, while his mentor, third-year Skyhawk Head Coach David McLaughlin, was named by his peers as the 2005 2006 Northeast-10 Conference Raymond P. Pepin Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. Additionally, three individuals earned all-conference accolades for their performances this season for Stonehill, as senior Marquis Taylor was named to the first-team all-conference squad while fellow seniors Chris Kraus and Sean Nelson earned third-team all-league honors. Smith, a native of Colonia, N.J. and a graduate of Colonia High School, becomes the third Stonehill rookie to be tabbed as the Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year, joining former standouts Rajohn Odom (1994-95) and Jon Cronin (1988-89) in garnering the honor. Smith, a three-time selection as Northeast-10 Freshman of the Week this season, has averaged 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds to date in a sixth-man role for the Skyhawks, as he ranks third on the team with 35 three-pointers on the year. Smith has reached the 20-point plateau on two occasions this season, netting a career-high 21 points and five three-pointers in Stonehill's 80-55 victory at Assumption on February 21st that gave the Skyhawks a share of the Northeast-10 regular season championship with Bentley, the program's first conference title since the 1997-98 campaign. McLaughlin becomes the fourth Stonehill mentor in school history to be named as the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year, joining former Skyhawk coaches David DeCiantis (1997-98), the late Pepin (1986-87 and 1991-92) and the late Tom Folliard (1980-81 and 1981-82). Over the last two seasons alone, McLaughlin has guided Stonehill to an overall mark of 42-13 (.764), including back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time since Folliard guided the Skyhawks to back-to-back 21-win seasons in 1980-81 and 1981-82. Taylor leads Stonehill in both scoring and rebounding to date at 15.9 ppg and 6.6 caroms per contest in earning his first all-Northeast-10 honor, while Kraus adds 10.9 ppg and leads the conference in both assists (5.6 apg) and steals (2.3 spg) to date. Nelson is the second leading scorer for the Skyhawks to date at 13.4 ppg while adding 5.7 rebounds per contest.

CONFERENCE RANK AND FILE: In conference statistics released through games of March 14th, Stonehill leads the Northeast-10 in scoring defense (64.2 ppg), field goal percentage defense (.417) assists (16.94 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.25) and defensive rebounds (26.16 drpg) while ranking second in scoring margin (+8.1) and free throw percentage (.766). Mike Lauricella continues to lead the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.25), while Nick Smith leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.495). Marquis Taylor and Chris Kraus rank second in defensive rebounds (5.41 drpg) and assists (5.66), respectively, for the Skyhawks.

NCAA RANK AND FILE: Stonehill is ranked in seven team categories in the latest NCAA Division II national statistical leaders through games of March 12th, as the Skyhawks are ninth in free throw percentage, 17th in won-lost percentage, 23rd in scoring defense, 30th in assists, 32nd in field goal percentage defense, 38th in three point field goals per game and 43rd in scoring margin. Individually, Chris Kraus is ranked 24th in assists, 38th in steals and 50th in free throw percentage.

A GRAND ENTRANCE: Marquis Taylor became the 30th player in Stonehill men's basketball history to reach the 1,000 career point plateau with a 15-point performance in the Skyhawks' 82-64 win over Assumption on January 10th. Dezmond Morgan was the last Skyhawk to reach that plateau, as he did so last season ironically in a January match-up with Assumption. Here are the members of Stonehill's 1,000 Point Club:

1.Mike Allocco2,3991969-73

2.Jon Cronin2,3011988-92

3.Bob Reitz2,2181979-83

4.Bill Zolga1,8221977-80

5.Mike Barros1,6791984-88

6.George Peterson1,6041964-67

7.David Donnelly1,4981995-99

8.Ed Grzembski1,4861987-91

9.Brian Cronin1,4741985-89

10.Dick Munson1,4481962-65

11.Leo Denault1,3981958-61

12.Paul Sincero1,3681950-53

13.Chris Butler1,3621991-95

14.MARQUIS TAYLOR1,3432002-06

15.Ron Richards1,3021965-68

16.Bob Duarte1,2791983-87

17.Tony Fiore1,2551981-85

18.Jason Jacobsen1,2271988-92

19.Kyle Quimby1,1851999-03

20.Art Horan1,1211968-71

21.Dezmond Morgan1,1192001-05

22.Derrik Jerman1,098 1989-93

23.Henry Jackson1,0901970-73

24.Jamal Gomes1,0821991-95

25.Howie Bain1,0631971-74

26.Lorenzo Lapido1,0611990-94

27.Adrian Machado1,0431992-96

28.Rollie Hollins1,0211971-74

29.Charlie Simonds1,0111973-77

30.Justin LoVerme1,0071997-01

TAYLOR MADE: Marquis Taylor became the 15th player in Stonehill history to eclipse the 1,300 career point plateau with his 23-point effort in the March 12th Northeast Regional semi-final win over Adelphi and the first Skyhawk to reach that mark since David Donnelly during the 1998-99 campaign.

THE McLAUGHLIN REPORT: After winning just 14 games in a two-and-a-half year stretch, Stonehill has posted a 47-14 (.771) mark in its last 61 contests under David McLaughlin's tutelage dating back to November 2004.

SKYHAWKS ON THE WORLD WIDE LEADER: Freshman Matt Hall's (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Central) 75-foot buzzer beater just before the half of the February 15th victory over Southern New Hampshire was featured on the February 20th edition of ESPN's "College Game Night" program as part of its "Gym Gems" sequence. The nightly program, hosted by Dave Revsine, Digger Phelps and Len Elmore, included four "Gym Gems" clips.

SKYHAWK TALK: Stonehill's Northeast-10 regular season title (that was shared with Bentley) was its first since the Skyhawks captured the league crown during the 1997-98 campaignStonehill's prior Sweet Sixteen appearance before last week's NCAA Northeast Regional title game came in March 1998 when the Skyhawks dropped a heartbreaking double overtime decision to Saint Rose The March 11th NCAA Northeast Regional quarterfinal win over Bloomfield was Stonehill's second over a CACC foe this seasonStonehill has won its last five meetings with 2005 NCAA national runner-up Bryant dating back to December 2004 with the March 2nd Northeast-10 playoff triumphStonehill has won both of its all-time post-season match-ups with Southern New Hampshire following the Northeast-10 quarterfinal round triumph, as the Skyhawks notched an overtime victory over the Penmen in the 1998 NCAA Northeast Regional Semi-Finals as wellSmith and Hall combined for nearly half (35) of Stonehill's offensive output (80) in the February 21st win over Assumption Chris Kraus notched his second career double-double with 16 points and 10 assists in the February 7th setback at UMass Lowell, with the third coming in the NCAA Northeast Regional championship game win over the River HawksThe February 11th win at Franklin Pierce was Stonehill's third in the last four meetings with the RavensAll three of Stonehill's series victories against Saint Rose have come during David McLaughlin's tenure as head coach Taylor matched his career-high effort in the scoring column with 26 points in the February 1st win over Pace, as he also netted 26 points against the Setters in an overtime victory last season in PleasantvilleThe January 16th win over Saint Anselm was Stonehill's first over the Hawks at Merkert Gymnasium since December 9, 1997 and gave the Skyhawks a regular season series sweep of Saint Anselm for the first time since the 1990-91 campaign Clarke hit the 20-point plateau in a game for the second time this season in the January 10th triumph over Assumption, as he matched his career-high set on opening night (November 18th) against MolloyThe Skyhawks have assisted on over two-thirds of their field goals on the season, notching 554 assists on 843 field goals through 33 gamesThe Skyhawks have led at the half in 25 of their 33 outings to date Prior to last season, Stonehill's last 20-win campaign came in 1997-98 when the Skyhawks won the Northeast-10 regular season crown en route to a berth in the NCAA Division II "Sweet Sixteen" The Skyhawks have eclipsed the 80-point plateau on 24 occasions in McLaughlin's 78-game tenure.

STONEHILL STUDENT-ATHLETES MAKE THE GRADE: Stonehill College ranks second on the list of the top academic and athletic colleges in the nation in NCAA Division II play according to the 2004-2005 National Collegiate Scouting Association's Collegiate Power Rankings, which combine statistics from three major academic and athletic sources. The NCSA's power rankings are calculated by averaging the U.S. News & World Report rankings, the United States Sports Academy's Directors' Cup rank and the student-athlete graduation rank of each Division II institution in the country. Stonehill ranked first in both the U.S. News & World Report and in Division II student-athlete graduation rate while posting a 98th place finish in the final NCAA Division II Directors' Cup ranking, the highest in school history. Those statistics gave Stonehill an NCSA power rating of 46.67 to trail only the University of California-San Diego's rank score of 37.67. The NCSA Collegiate Power Rankings provide data that allows prospective student-athletes and parents to evaluate the particular strengths of institutions based on academic and athletic factors, as well as student-athlete graduation rates. Truman State, Drury and Bentley followed UC-San Diego and Stonehill in this year's rankings. The 2004-2005 academic year saw Stonehill record its highest finish ever in the Northeast-10 Conference Presidents' Cup standings, as the Skyhawks placed third behind champion Bryant and runner-up Bentley. Four Stonehill squads competed in their respective NCAA tournaments, with the women's lacrosse team collecting its second NCAA Division II national championship in three years on May 15th. In the classroom, over 45 percent of Stonehill student-athletes achieved a grade point average of 3.20 or higher during the year, while 26 individuals were named to their respective Northeast-10 Academic All-Conference teams, including women's lacrosse standout Erin Acone '06 (Bow, N.H./Bow), who became the fifth CoSIDA Academic All-America in school history.

SKYHAWKS ON THE WEB: For the second straight season, Stonehill basketball can be accessed on the world wide web through Free Teamline, a service of TRZ Sports of Kent, Ohio. A total of 15 Skyhawk regular season men's basketball broadcasts will be available throughout the 2005-2006 season via Free Teamline by accessing the official Stonehill Athletics website at www.stonehillskyhawks.com, powered by Presto Sports. Returning to call all of action of Stonehill basketball once again this winter is the tandem of Charlie Bergeron and Brian Buckley, who have served as the voices of Skyhawk Basketball since 1998.

WHO'S NEXT: The winner of tonight's Stonehill-Winona State national semi-final advances to play for the 2006 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball national championship on Saturday, March 25th here at the Mass Mutual Center beginning at 1:00 p.m. EST against the winner of tonight's other semi-final between Seattle Pacific and defending national champion Virginia Union. Saturday's national championship game will be televised live on CBS, with Ian Eagle and Dan Bonner calling the action. More information on the NCAA Championships is available at www.NCAASports.com.