Here is a weekly wrap-up of University of Scranton athletic events. To see the full Royal Review release, visit http://matrix.scranton.edu/athletics/gnmar782011.shtml.

Baseball (0-0/0-0 Landmark Conference)
The baseball team’s season-opener against Albright College on Sunday, March 6, at Diamond Nation in Flemington, New Jersey, was cancelled due to inclement weather. 

Men’s Basketball (20-6 Overall/11-3 Landmark Conference)
The men’s basketball team made its third NCAA tournament appearance in four years and the 23rd in the program’s history on Friday, March 4, against Becker College at Chandler Gymnasium on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

The Hawks ended Scranton’s hopes of advancing to the second round for the first time since 2003 by overcoming a 14-point deficit with 15 minutes remaining en route to an 80-73 victory.

Senior guards Zach Ashworth (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) and Luke Hawk (Methacton, Pa./Audubon) scored 19 points apiece, junior forward Matt Swaback (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, and sophomore guardTim Lavelle (Clarks Green, Pa./Scranton Preparatory) came off the bench and had 11 points and two steals.

The Royals shot a respectable 45.3 percent from the field, including 56 percent from the 3-point arc (14 of 25), but Becker held a 44-31 advantage in rebounding and pressured Scranton into turning the ball over 23 times.

Men’s Lacrosse (2-1/0-0 Landmark Conference)
The men’s lacrosse team completed a three-game home stand at Fitzpatrick Field during the period.

On Tuesday, March 1, the Royals held Farmingdale State University scoreless for 35 minutes to erase a 4-3 deficit on their way to a 12-6 victory.  Senior attacker Keenan Dowd (Binghamton, N.J./Seton Catholic) led the way with four goals and senior attacker Daniel Slade (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks South) and sophomore attacker Taylor Nelson (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) finished with two goals apiece.

Sophomore Ben Worthington (Jenkintown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and senior Jeremy Dowiak (Hackettstown, N.J./West Morris) each played 30 minutes in goal and combined for 12 saves.

On Saturday, March 5, Scranton suffered its first loss of the season, dropping a 10-5 decision to Muhlenberg College.  The Mules broke away from a 3-3 tie at intermission by out-scoring the Royals 5-1 in the third period.

Junior midfielder Mike Rufo (Broomall, Pa./Haverford School) scored two goals and assisted on another and sophomore midfielder Dillon McInerney (Hawthorne, N.J./Bergen Catholic) had two goals.  Dowiak went the distance in goal and finished with 11 saves.  His 21 saves in three games this year moves him into third place on the Royals’ all-time list with 373.

Women’s Lacrosse (0-1/0-0 Landmark Conference)
The women’s lacrosse team opened its 2011 season at home on Wednesday, March 2, against Haverford College at Fitzpatrick Field.

The Fords pulled away in the second half after a 3-3 tie at intermission and went on to post a 10-4 victory.

Senior attacker Caroline Pryor (Robbinsville, N.J./Notre Dame), sophomore attackers Deanna Giorno (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South)and Kaitlin Lazorko (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy), and sophomore midfielder Jilliana DePaolera (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon) scored a goal apiece for the Royals.

Scranton overcame a 3-1 deficit late in the first half to knot it up at intermission, as Pryor scored a goal off of a play set up by first-year attacker Kerry Sullivan (Oceanport, N.Y./Shore Regional) in the 20th minute and DePaolera added an unassisted goal with just 25 seconds remaining before halftime.

Defensively, the Royals got a solid effort from sophomore goalie Kathleen Smart (Hatboro, Pa./Archbishop Wood), who turned away a game-high 10 shots.  Scranton also caused 14 turnovers, including three by DePolera and two each by sophomore midfielder Jaclyn Calabrese (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East), senior midfielder Kristin Pickell (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) and first-year midfielder/defender Shannon Ginty (Mineola, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy).

This Week in Royal Athletics

Tuesday, March 8
Women’s Lacrosse – at Montclair St. (7:00 pm)

Wednesday, March 9
Men’s Lacrosse – at Nazareth (3:00 pm)

Saturday, March 12
Baseball - vs. Cazenovia (DH, Diamond Nation) (12:00 pm)
Men’s Lacrosse – at Centenary (12:00 pm)
Women’s Lacrosse – at Elmira (12:00 pm)

Sunday, March 13
Baseball – at Widener (DH, 12:00 pm)