GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College’s men’s and women’s basketball teams stand among the top squads in the NCAA Division III South Region according to the first of four regional polls released Wednesday. Guilford’s men were ranked first in the eight-team poll. The Quakers women sit fifth among nine teams. The rankings are determined by regional committees of coaches and administrators for the purpose of determining the NCAA Tournament fields.
Guilford’s men (18-4, 11-2 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)) are also ranked 22nd in this week’s D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, the Quakers’ first national rating since 2014. Coach Tom Palombo’s team has won 13 of its last 15 games, largely in part to a swarming defense and aggressive rebounding. Guilford ranks fifth in the nation in scoring defense through games of February 8, only sacrificing 62.0 points per game. The Quakers lead the ODAC and rank 26th nationally in rebounds per game (42.45), led by senior guard Zachary Houston and sophomore forward Alston Thompson, who share fourth place in the ODAC with 7.9 caroms per contest. Guilford has the nation’s fourth-best rebounding margin per game (+10.5).
Sophomore forward Carson Long is the Quakers’ leading scorer with 14.8 points per game, which ranks eighth in the ODAC. He has scored in double digits in 16 of Guilford’s 22 contests. Sophomore Marcus Curry ranks fourth in the conference in field-goal percentage, shooting 55.1 percent, and averages 11.1 points per contest. Thompson (11.5) and Dominique Henderson (10.8) also average double digits for the Quakers.
Guilford hosts an ODAC showdown with the league leading Randolph-Macon College (16-6, 12-1 ODAC), ranked seventh in the region, Saturday (2/11) at 4:30 p.m.
The Quakers’ women (18-3, 11-2 ODAC) also sit second in the league and are enjoying one of the finest seasons in school history thanks in large part to defense, rebounding and shooting. Guilford leads the ODAC and ranks 25th nationally with a .440 field-goal percentage. Opponents, however, shoot just 33.8 percent from the floor versus Guilford, which also tops the league and is 46th in Division III. Guilford has a +17.2 points per game scoring margin (26th nationally) and a +7.9 rebounding margin (38th in Division III).
Senior Anais Weatherly has enjoyed one the finest seasons in school history. She has nine double-doubles and stands among the league’s best in scoring (14.6 ppg.), rebounding (8.9 rpg.), field-goal percentage (.486) and assists (3.5). Her league-best 5.24 steals per game average sits fifth in NCAA Division III. Senior Heaven Walters (11.8 ppg., .516 FG pct.) and junior Lauren Ramsey (10.7 ppg.), who ranks 28th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.10), are other keys to the Quakers’ success this season.
Coach Stephanie Flamini’s club hosts league-rival Virginia Wesleyan College Saturday (2/11) at 2:00 p.m. in the team’s annual Senior Day game.