Complete Bracket

After winning its ninth Centennial Conference championship, the Muhlenberg women's basketball team was selected to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Mules (24-2) will face St. John Fisher (22-4) in one game Friday night, with the second game matching Christopher Newport (22-4) against St. Joseph's (Maine) (23-5). The two winners square off Saturday night, with the winner of that game earning a trip to the "Sweet 16."

Muhlenberg is making its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance, and its eighth in the last 11 years. The Mules have an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 8-9, winning at least one game in six of their nine previous appearances.

Ironically, one of the times Muhlenberg lost in the first round was the only other time it hosted: In 2008, the Mules dropped their first-round game in Memorial Hall to DeSales, which went on to the "Sweet 16."

Muhlenberg advanced to the "Sweet 16" in both 2009 and 2011. Last year, the Mules defeated Cabrini in their first-round game before falling to Geneseo State.

St. John Fisher earned an at-large bid out of the Empire 8 after falling in the league semifinals to Ithaca. The Cardinals are in the NCAA Tournament for the 16th time; most of those appearances came between 1987 and 1997, including national runner-up finishes in 1988 and 1990. The team earned its first NCAA bid in nine years last winter, defeating Skidmore in overtime in the first round before taking Tufts to overtime in the second round. Tufts won that game en route to the "Final Four."

Muhlenberg and St. John Fisher have one opponent in common - Stevens. The Mules defeated Stevens at home, 74-54 in mid-January, and the Cardinals split with their conference rivals, winning 75-72 at home on the final day of the regular season to avenge a 51-35 loss earlier in the season.

Stevens, which also was picked to host a pod, was one of two fellow NCAA Tournament invitees for both teams. Muhlenberg opened its season with a win against Moravian, and St. John Fisher lost to Rochester in December.

St. Joseph's earned an automatic bid as champion of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, while Christopher Newport received an at-large bid after falling in the Capital Athletic Conference semifinals.