Palermo helps Bethany win PAC, gain NCAA berth

Carey Palermo, an Ursuline graduate, is a good shooter and playmaker.

BETHANY, W.Va. — Presidents’ Athletic Conference’s men’s basketball champion Bethany College will play Capital in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday.

The Bison (17-10) earned an automatic bid by defeating Washington & Jefferson, 90-76, in the PAC tournament championship game Saturday. Brody Jackson led Bethany with 30 points.

Junior guard Carey Palermo, a graduate of Ursuline High, has appeared in all 27 games for the Bison, starting three. He is averaging 4.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game this season, with 45 assists. He is shooting 52 percent from the field (37-of-71), including 25-of-51 on 3-pointers (49 percent), and is 14-for-16 at the foul line (88 percent).

Bethany has won three of the last four PAC titles and this marks its fourth trip to the NCAA tournament in the last seven seasons.

Capital is 23-5, earning an at-large bid after losing the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament championship game to Heidelberg, 83-75. The Crusaders are ranked No. 13 by D3hoops.com.

The winner of Thursday’s game will play at No. 3-ranked Hope (Mich.) (24-3) Saturday night in the second round.

Grove City College’s men’s team has been selected to participate in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Southern Championship tournament.

The Wolverines (17-10) were seeded No. 7 and will play at No. 2 seed Carnegie Mellon (16-9) Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Malone College’s men’s team (21-9) will play host to Cedarville (21-7) tonight at 7 in the American Mideast Conference tournament championship game. The winner earns a bid to the NAIA national tournament in Point Lookout, Mo., March 12-18.

Walsh also has a bid to the NAIA tournament.