ARLINGTON – Marymount women's basketball is set to open NCAA Tournament action on Friday against Ohio Northern. Tip-off is set for 5:45 PM on the campus of the University of Scranton. The other matchup features No. 6 Scranton hosting Framingham State at 8:15 PM with the winners advancing to play on Saturday at 7:45 PM.
 
SCOUTING THE SAINTS

• Marymount enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament riding a 10-game winning streak, last falling at currently No. 4 Christopher Newport on Jan. 10 by a score of 87-77.
• The Saints won their second straight Atlantic East championship with a 66-48 win over Neumann. With the win, Marymount has now won 17 conference championships and is making its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance. Since joining the Atlantic East in 2018-19, the Saints have won four of the five titles awarded. 
• Marymount finished AEC play with a 10-0 mark, the first time the Saints have finished conference play unscathed since 1997. Marymount reached the Sweet 16 that year behind National Player of the Year, Cori Carson. 
• On Tuesday, Chandler Eddleton and Symantha Shackelford were named First Team All-Conference for the third season in a row.
• Since joining the CAC in 1990, Marymount women's basketball has only had two other three-time First Team All-Conference selection: Katelyn Fischer (2011, 2012, 2013 - CAC) and Jessica Turgon (1995, 1996, 1997 - CAC).
• Eddleton also became Marymount women's basketball's first two-time conference player of the year since Fischer did so in the CAC in 2012 and 2013. 
• The Saints have now secured four of the five Atlantic East Player of the Year awards since the conference formed in 2018-19.
• Through 27 games, Eddleton is averaging 19.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She is shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 78.8 percent from the charity stripe. On defense, she averages 2.4 steals per game. 
• Shackelford is averaging a career-high 15.2 points and 3.2 assists per game. She is shooting 42.2 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from beyond the arc and 86.7 percent from the free-throw line. Additionally, she just set the school record for career 3-pointers made (189), breaking a record set in 2011. She also is currently in first place for career free-throw percentage (.845).
• Shackelford (Nov. 17 vs. Worcester State) and Eddleton (Dec. 20 at Catholic) both surpassed 1,000 career points earlier this season. Shackelford currently sits in sixth place in Marymount's all-time scoring list (1,366 points), nine away from passing Fischer for fifth all-time.
• Eddleton currently sits in ninth place (1,278 points), just six points away from passing both Kate Jarvis and Ashlee Courter to move into seventh place. Courter (now Ashlee Rogers) recruited both Eddleton and Shackelford and led Marymount to four conference titles in 11 seasons on the bench from 2010-2021 and is a member of the Marymount Hall of Fame. 
• The charity stripe has been kind to the Saints this season as Marymount is shooting 77.5 percent from the free-throw line. This ranks fourth in NCAA Division III.
• Marymount is a veteran-laden team, boasting five seniors, two fifth-years, and four juniors in the mix. That group of players has combined for a 32-2 record in conference play over the last three seasons.
• Marymount's starting five from the conference championship game has started a total of 351 games (110 – Shackelford, 77 – Smith, 77 – Eddleton, 67 – Dzambo, 20 – Treadwell).

SCOUTING THE REGION

• Ohio Northern (18-9) enters the tournament as the Ohio Athletic Conference champion.
• Ohio Northern made a run through the OAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed and toppled No. 2 seed Marietta 63-55 in Saturday's title game to earn the program's second straight and 10th NCAA Tournament appearance.
• Scranton (25-2) enters the tournament as the Landmark Conference champion.
• Scranton has now won nine straight Landmark titles and is hosting the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight season.
• Scranton is making its 36th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. One of the most storied programs in Division III, the Lady Royals have made 10 Final Fours and won the 1985 national championship.
• Framingham State (24-2) enters the tournament as the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference champion.
• Framingham State is making the program's third appearance in the field of 64 in four years and the first since 2022 after defeating Bridgewater State 74-62 in Saturday's MASCAC title game.

ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP

• Forty-two conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the 2024 championship. There was one berth reserved for Pool B and the final 21 berths were reserved for Pool C, which includes institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that are not the conference champion and any remaining Pool B teams.
• Sixteen first/second-round sites will be conducted March 1-2. Second-round winners will advance to one of four sectional sites March 8-9.
• Winners of the four sectional sites will advance to the national semifinals/final site on March 14 and 16. The semifinals/final will be conducted at Capital Center Performance Arena in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by Capital University.
• Ticket prices for the opening weekend are $15 for adults (18+), $10 for seniors 61 and over, students and children ages two and up. Sales will be cash-only. 

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