The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's basketball team found out Monday morning that it is headed to Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York, for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 seasons, as the Lyons are matched up against regional foe Tufts University in Friday's opening round.

The evening's other first-round game will be between the hosts and Albright College out of Pennsylvania. Friday's winners square off against each other during Saturday's second round for the right to advance to the following weekend's sectional round.

Wheaton was selected to its third NCAA Tournament and first since the 1995 season, when the Lyons advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 round. Wheaton made a national semifinal run in 1994, becoming the first program to reach the NCAA Final Four during the school's coeducational era. In eight NCAA Tournament games, the Blue and White is 5-3.

Wheaton hasn't faced Albright or Mount Saint Mary in its history but has seen Tufts 28 times, including once in the postseason, as the Lyons and Jumbos were pitted in the 1987 Northeast Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC) Tournament. Wheaton is 12-16 against Tufts since the 1977-78 season.

The Lyons, who claimed their first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament crown thanks to Sunday's 74-69 win over Springfield College, are 22-6. With a record of 23-3, the Jumbos are making the first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Ranked 15th nationally in last week's D3hoops.com poll, Tufts earned an at-large bid after falling in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament title game. Albright is 20-6 overall and Mount Saint Mary 25-2.

Winners in 18 of its last 20 games, including seven in a row, Wheaton's 22 victories are third best in program annals, trailing the two NCAA Tournament teams from the 1990s. The Lyons also won 12 of their 13 regular season conference games to set the program standard. Sunday's league tournament title marked Wheaton's fifth overall, as Wheaton also won three New England Women's 8 Conference (NEW 8) championships and one New England Women's 6 Conference (NEW 6) crown. The team's regular season title was its fourth.

Leading the Lyons to their initial NEWMAC regular season crown and first 20-win season in 13 years, fifth-year head coach Melissa Hodgdon is 75-60 in her tenure, including an impressive 41-17 mark during the last two seasons. Hodgdon's squad is tops in the 10-team conference in several categories, including scoring offense, scoring margin and assists. The Lyons' free throw percentage also ranked 18th nationally heading into last week.

Lone senior captain Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) is Wheaton's most seasoned player, starting all 28 games while leading the Lyons in steals (60). She is also second in field goal shooting (.498) and assists (92) and third in scoring (10.8) and rebounding (5.0). Junior Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School), who is sixth on Wheaton's all-time scoring list with 1,149 points, paces this year's team in scoring (13.4), field goal percentage (.520) and three-point shooting (.456). She also stands second in rebounding (5.8) and free throw percentage (.759) and third in assists (73) and steals (38).

Sophomore Jenny Champney (Bedford, MA/Bedford) is Wheaton's top rebounder (6.8) and shot blocker (49) while ranking second in scoring (12.3). Junior Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford) averages 9.1 points, having made 38 three-pointers, and is the squad's top free throw shooter (.845). Sophomore point guard Andrea Bailey (Needham, MA/Needham) averages 7.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 assists.

Wheaton Headed to Mount Saint Mary for NCAA Tournament, Lyons Set to Face Tufts