Jonathan Ouegnin

The website hoopsmanifesto.com has nominated Mercyhurst University basketball player Jonathan Ouegnin in a College Dunk of the Year contest.

Ouegnin, a 6-foot 4-inch junior guard, made his spectacular play Feb. 20 during the Lakers’ win over rival Gannon. ESPN’s Sportscenter show featured the dunk in its Top 10.

Fans can vote for the dunk by going to the hoopsmanifesto.com website. This is the fourth year the site has run the contest.

Here’s video of Ouegnin’s brilliant dunk:

Kayla McBride

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team missed its goal of winning a national title during the 2012-13 season.

However, free-throw shooting couldn’t be blamed for the Fighting Irish’s falling short. ND’s four leading scorers each shot over 80 percent, and Villa Maria graduate Kayla McBride led the way.

McBride became the first Notre Dame women’s basketball player to shoot 90 percent from the foul line in a single season.

In today’s Erie Times-News On Campus notebook, read more about McBride’s three-throw school record and see where her career point total will stand going into her senior season.

Amanda Shields

Ashley Black

Also in today’s notes, read about the big doubleheader that Fort LeBoeuf graduates Ashley Black and Amanda Shields had while leading the Edinboro softball team to a sweep of Gannon last week.

In addition, check out notes on four PSAC Top Ten Award winners — Edinboro’s Tabitha Bemis, Mercyhurst’s Luis Leao, Gannon’s Jen Papich and Clarion’s Kayla Shull.

Read about all of that and more in the Times-News On Campus notebook.

When the Gannon University women’s basketball team lost to Ashland in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight at San Antonio  last month, the Knights lost their last game of the season to the eventual champion for the third time in the past four seasons.

Ashland went on to beat Dowling, as coach Sue Ramsey’s team went 37-1 to win their first national title.

In 2011-12, Gannon lost to Shaw (N.C.) in the Atlantic Regional semifinals at Edinboro, and Shaw went on to claim the crown by defeating Ashland in overtime in the championship game.

The Knights did not make the postseason in 2010-11, but in 2009-10, they took a 37-0 record and No. 1 ranking into the D-II semifinals against Emporia State (Kan.), and had a double-digit lead but fell 97-94 in  overtime at St. Joseph’s, Mo. Emporia State, with a large fan base, easily beat Fort Lewis for the championship.

Gannon will be the host school in 2013-14 when the Elite Eight will be held at the Erie Insurance Arena.

– Bob Jarzomski

Former Gannon coach Jerry Slocum completed his second consecutive winning season at Youngstown State at 17-15 following the Penguins’ elimination in the Horizon League playoffs. YSU received a bid to the CTI tournament, and defeated Oakland 99-87 before losing in overtime at home to Canisius 84-82, surrendering a 22-point lead early  in the second half.

The 18-16 record was the best since the 1990s, and YSU did not have a winning season for 11 seasons until going 16-15 in 2011-12. The CTI tournament was the first postseason action for the Penguins since 1977. The 61-year-old is 92-152 at Youngstown.

Slocum came to YSU in 2005 after coaching Gannon for nine seasons (179-86, the last six clubs making the NCAA Division II tournament. He previously was a successful coach at Geneva College and Nyack. He  has a record of 673-476 in 38 seasons.

Former Mercyhurst Prep star Josh Chojnacki was a reserve junior center with the club, seeing limited playing time.

Assistant coaches Mike Wernicki and Brian  DePaoli are from Erie.

– Bob Jarzomski

This week’s Erie Times-News On Campus notebook was highlighted by with news of McDowell graduate Shelly Respecki being selected for induction into Clarion University’s Hall of Fame.

The notebook also had updates on North East graduate Nick Grow, who is pitching for Westminster, and Penn State Behrend track and field performers such as Josh Natalie, Matt McWilliams, Phil Martone and Catie Bertges.

Look for the On Campus notebook every Sunday in the Times-News.

Kayla McBride was named to an All-America team for the second time this season Friday. AP PHOTO

Villa Maria graduate Kayla McBride and the Notre Dame women’s basketball team will meet archrival Connecticut in the Final Four tonight.

The Fighting Irish (35-1) will go for their third straight appearance in the NCAA championship game and will attempt to beat UConn (33-4) for the fourth consecutive time this season. Today’s game is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN.

The winner will advance to Tuesday night’s title game against the winner of tonight’s first game between Louisville (28-8) and California (32-3), which is set for a 6:30 start.

McBride, a 5-foot 11-inch junior guard, has been one a roll lately after playing three of her best games against UConn. McBride joined teammate Skylar Diggins on the 10-player Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America Team Friday. Earlier, she was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.

Read previous McBride posts on the On Campus blog.

Check out Notre Dame’s preview video:

Also, take a look at the Fighting Irish at the Final Four:

North East All-State guard Alex Artise is part of the class of 2013 recruits that will be coming to Mercyhurst women’s basketball coach Deanna Richard’s team this fall.

The Lakers have to replace seven seniors from the 2012-2013 team that went 10-17 and lost in the first round of the PSAC playoffs to IUP.

Also joining Artise in the early signing period is Hayley Andres, Natalie Piagessi, Jessica Bell, Katie Fischer and Maria Penascino.

Artise, a 5-9 guard, averaged 16.0 ppg., set the school record in career  points (1,454) and made the Class AA second team for the Grapepickers. She was the Erie Times-News D-10 player of the year.  Artise averaged 17 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 3.9 steals per game as a junior

Andres  is a 5-7 guard from Franklin and first team All-Region 5. She averaged 10.5 ppg. for the Knights, and as a junior, she averaged 9.4 points, six rebounds, and five assist. Andres also played volleyball at Franklin Area and was the school’s student council class president. Piaggesi, a 6-1 senior at Seton LaSalle, helped her team win its first state title in 30 years in 2011-12. She averaged 13.5 points per game. and was an honor roll student at Seton LaSalle, which lost in the Class AA semifinals this season. Bell, a 5-10 forward, averaged 11 points and 8.3 rebounds per game at Lake Central High last season. The Crown Point, Indiana, native was named team MVP and was an all-area honorable mention selection.  Bell earned scholar-athlete and academic all-star nods. Fischer averaged 18 points and five assists per game as a junior at Ambridge High, and around 18 points this season while going over the 1,000 mark. The 5-7 guard has been named all-conference each of her three seasons at Ambridge. As a freshman, she made 10 three-pointers in one game, setting a school record.  Penascino, a 5-9 guard, put up eight points and five assists per game as a junior at Bethel Park. She was also a long jumper on the school’s track and field team. Penascino and Piaggesi were AAU teammates last summer.

“I’m very excited about this class. They bring a high talent level and a wide range of skills,” said Richard. “Each of these young ladies is a great fit for Mercyhurst University and our vision as a basketball program.”

The Lakers are looking to add a couple of more players to the squad.

Bob Jarzomski

Penn State Behrend men’s basketball coach Dave Niland has picked up 362 victories and 162 defeats in 19 seasons at the helm of the Division III team, with no losing seasons.

His first cousin, Michigan’s John Beilein, has 673 career victories and 403 defeats after defeating Syracuse and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim 64-59 in the Final Four meeting in Atlanta, then losing to Louisville and Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino 82-76 in the championship game.

Niland, whose father Joe Niland is the brother of Beilein’s mother, played at LeMoyne under Beilein in the late 1980s, when Beilein’s Division II Dolphins played under the shadow of Boeheim’s Orange. Beilein started at Erie Community College, spent one season at Nazareth (Division III), nine at LeMoyne, five at his first D-I job at Canisius, helped by Boeheim’s recommendation, five at Richmond, five at West Virginia, and now six at Michigan.

The combined 1,035-565 record could be No. 1 for first cousins.

Bob Jarzomski

Kayla McBride

Like most of her Notre Dame teammates, Kayla McBride struggled during the first half of Tuesday’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight women’s basketball game against Duke.

However, after trailing by six points at halftime, McBride and the No. 2-ranked Fighting Irish recovered to pull away for an 87-76 win in Norfolk, Va., as Notre Dame claimed its 30th consecutive win and earned a third straight trip to the Final Four. No. 5 Duke closed at 33-4.

McBride, a Villa Maria graduate, made 3-for-4 shots in the second half — all 3-pointers — and scored 11 second-half points on her way to 18 for the game. She also dished out seven assists. She had made only three of her first 13 field-goal attempts during the game.

ND senior Skylar Diggans scored 24 points and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Norfolk Regional. McBride, who was named a third-team All-American Tuesday, also made the regional’s all-tournament team.

Notre Dame (35-1) will face archrival Connecticut Sunday night in the Final Four. The Irish have swept three games from UConn this season and have beaten the Huskies in the past two Final Four matchups. Notre Dame has been the national runner-up two consecutive years.

Here’s the postgame press conference, including McBride:

Kayla McBride

Villa Maria graduate Kayla McBride got some good news before the Notre Dame women’s basketball team’s NCAA Tournament game tonight against Duke.

McBride was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press today.

It’s the latest honor for the 5-foot 11-inch junior, who earlier was named to the Big East Conference first team and the WBCA All-Region I team. She claimed Most Valuable Player in the Big East Tournament and made the watch lists for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award.

McBride is averaging 15.9 points per game this season. She is also averaging 21 points per game in three NCAA Tournament games.

In addition, Notre Dame senior Skylar Diggins was named All-America first team today, and junior forward Natalie Achonwa was named honorable mention.

The Fighting Irish (34-1) will take on Duke (33-2) in an Elite Eight game today at 7 p.m. in Norfolk, Va. The game will be televised by ESPN. Notre Dame finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the country, while Duke was No. 5.

Check out Notre Dame’s pregame video: