BRUNSWICK -- Looking for quality college basketball this weekend? You don't need to look far.
Bowdoin and Bates earned the right to host first and second-round games in the NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament. Plus, the University of Southern Maine will make the short drive up 295 to play in Brunswick.
"I am really excited at the prospect of having so much Maine connection in our bracket," Bowdoin coach Megan Phelps said. "As they said on the selection show, Maine has an awesome tradition of really talented Division III women's basketball programs, so I think it will be a really fun environment for the state that loves basketball so much."
Four other teams learned of their playoff fate during the Monday afternoon selection show, including the University of Maine-Farmington men and women, the Bates men and the Saint Joseph's College men.
This is the third straight year Bowdoin, led by Bangor's Abbie Quinn (14.2 points per game), has hosted NCAA tournament games at Morrell Gymnasium. Bates, featuring Mt. Ararat's Elsa Daulerio (14.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg), is hosting for the second time in three years.
"Emotions have been super high in the past 24 hours, with our win (over Bowdoin) yesterday in the (NESCAC) championship game," Daulerio said. "But just to see our names up there and an opportunity to host is just so special for us."
The Bobcats (24-3) will take on Merchant Marine (23-4) at 7:15 p.m. Friday, while Smith (26-1) and Union (22-5) square off at 4:45 p.m.
Joining the Polar Bears (24-2) in Brunswick are Emmanuel (22-6), USM (25-2) and Johnson & Wales (23-4). USM will face Johnson & Wales in the first game at 5:15 p.m., with Bowdoin vs. Emmanuel to follow at 7:45 p.m.
After winning the Little East Conference title for the first time since 2013, USM coach David Chadbourne figured his team would have a long trip for the first round.
"I was surprised by that, to be honest," Chadbourne said. "I thought we'd be going to the New York region. I'm happy about that. It's nice to stay in Maine. It's nice to be close for the kids, and their families. Most of our kids are Maine kids."
The Huskies are led by Skowhegan's Jaycie Christopher (19.4 ppg), Hampden Academy's Lucy Wiles (17.4 ppg) and Brunswick's Dakota Shipley (11.6 ppg). Christopher (47.4%) leads the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage, while Wiles (45.3%) is fourth. JWU is anchored by sophomore forward Grace Jaffray (Ellsworth), who is second in the country with 23.7 ppg.
North Atlantic Conference champs UMF (21-7) has the weekend’s most difficult task in its first appearance since 2007, traveling to New York City to take on two-time defending national champion New York University (25-0). The Violets have won 87 consecutive games, a DIII women’s record.
The UMF men (22-5) will take a similar drive south to its first-round opponent. The Beavers are headed to New Jersey to meet Montclair State (25-2).
The Beavers earned their first conference title since 2010 with sophomore guard Zach McLaughlin (25.8 points per game), a Hampden Academy graduate, and junior forward Jason Reynolds (17.1 ppg, 15.5 rebounds per game), a Winslow High School alum, leading the way.
"To play at the highest level has always been the goal for us," second-year coach Quinn Newton said. "The guys earned (the recognition) from Day 1. We'll see how we stack up with the rest of them."
Bates (18-8) is the same regional pod, after earning an at-large bid and first tournament appearance since 2015. The Bobcats will take on Yeshiva (20-8) at 1 p.m., with UMF-Montclair State following at 5:15 p.m. The time for Saturday’s second round showdown is to be announced.
Great Northeast Athletic Conference champs St. Joe’s (20-8) rides a 17-game win streak into its second-consecutive tournament berth. The Monks will head to Connecticut to take on Babson (21-6). The winner will face either the defending champs Trinity (25-2) or Keuka (15-13).
The women’s final will be held March 21 in Salem, Virginia, and the men’s final will be in Indianapolis on April 5. The full men’s and women’s brackets can be found online at ncaa.com.