FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCAA RELEASE - FULL SHOWCASE SCHEDULE

MANSFIELD, Mass. – In less than a month, the Northeast 10 Conference will have a pair of crucial Northeast Division matchups take part in the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase – two of 24 men’s and women’s basketball games that will be highlighted in January and February on ESPN3 or NCAA social media as part of a new media agreement intended to promote the division on several platforms throughout the academic year.

A men’s and women’s doubleheader between Bentley and Stonehill at the Dana Center on Feb. 6 has been chosen for the Showcase. Bentley’s nationally-ranked men’s and women’s teams will host the Skyhawks, beginning with the women’s game at 5:35 p.m. and ending with the men’s game at 7:35 p.m.  

Both contests will be part of the division’s hybrid model, meaning it can be distributed on TV or online. Live streams will also be available via the NCAA social media accounts – specifically Division II Facebook (facebook.com/ncaadivisionii) and Twitter (@NCAADII) – and could be distributed through conference or school digital networks.

“We are excited for the second half of the basketball season and look forward to featuring the accomplishments of Division II basketball student-athletes on ESPN3 and in the division’s hybrid model,” said Terri Steeb Gronau, vice president of Division II. “Fans will continue to watch talented student-athletes who make a difference in the classroom and in their communities.”

An additional four flex doubleheaders will be finalized in February, with the games being expected to highlight premier and pivotal matchups toward the end of the regular season. For basketball, 18 games will stream exclusively on ESPN3, with 18 additional games part of the hybrid model.

CLOSER LOOK

• The current schedule, which spans December through February, features 14 of the 24 basketball-sponsoring conferences in Division II and is created from a pool of conference nominations.
• Bentley and Stonehill met in the 2018 NE10 Women’s Basketball Championship, with the Falcons earning a hard-fought 73-72 overtime victory. It was the Skyhawks, however, that advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, S.D.
• The four teams selected to be featured from the NE10 are each picked to finish in the top half of the league’s standings this year, as voted on by the coaches. The Bentley women, 2014 national champions, were unanimously selected to win the Northeast Division.
• Earlier this season, the Falcons and Skyhawks played in Easton, Mass., with the Bentley men’s and women’s teams each securing double-digit victories.

ABOUT ESPN 3
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multiscreen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers via ESPN.com and on smartphones, tablets and streaming devices through the ESPN app. The network currently is available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It also is available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.