Ewing, NJ … March Madness has arrived a month early at The College of New Jersey as both the men's and women's basketball teams are in a heated race to qualify for the 2015 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.
 
The top six teams from the conference qualify for the playoffs. The tournament format rewards the top two seeds with a bye in the opening round. That first round will feature the three seed hosting the six seed and four seed hosting the fifth-place finisher.
 
With three games remaining on the regular season schedule, it will be a mad dash to the finish line. Playoff scenarios are wide open in terms of which teams will make the cut and where each will land in the standings once the final buzzer sounds.
 
In the men's standings, the Lions (8-7) are currently tied for fourth place by record with Rowan University. TCNJ could jump past the Profs and Rutgers-Newark (9-6) and move up to as high as third place by season's end or be left off the invite list completely. Ramapo College and New Jersey City University are just a game behind the Lions and Rowan at 7-8. TCNJ visits the Roadrunners tomorrow night for a crucial match-up. A victory not only increases their lead over Ramapo to two games, but it also gives the Lions a sweep of the season series. That would provide the edge in a head-to-head tie-breaker scenario.
 
TCNJ returns home for its final two games of the regular season. They take on first-place William Paterson University (13-2) on Saturday at 3 p.m. and close out the schedule with Kean University (3-12) next Wednesday at 8 p.m.
 
On the women's side, the Lions (7-8) are in a three-way tie for fifth place with Kean University and Rutgers-Newark. Playing its best basketball of the season, TCNJ could run the table and climb to as high as fourth place and host a first-round game. They battle Ramapo (0-15) tomorrow night before hosting the Pioneers and Cougars in Packer Hall.
 
The Lions defeated WPU on the road earlier this season, but fell at Kean on January 14. History, however, is on the side of TCNJ for the rematch with the Cougars. The Lions have won seven of its last eight meetings with Kean in Packer Hall.
 
The late-season chaos continues tomorrow at Ramapo College. Follow the women's game on live stats tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. The men's game tips off at 7:30 p.m. and can also be tracked on live stats.
 
 
Remaining NJAC Regular Season Schedule – Men's and Women's

Wednesday, February 11

TCNJ at Ramapo
Rowan at Montclair State
New Jersey City at Richard Stockton
William Paterson at Kean
Rutgers-Camden at Rutgers-Newark
 
Saturday, February 14

William Paterson at TCNJ
New Jersey City at Montclair State
Richard Stockton at Kean
Ramapo at Rutgers-Camden
Rutgers-Newark at. Rowan
 
Wednesday, February 18

Kean at TCNJ
Rowan at William Paterson
Ramapo at Rutgers Newark
Montclair State at Stockton
Rutgers-Camden at New Jersey City