Four teams with a vast array of NCAA Division III women's basketball  playoff experience will convene at the Louis Alexander Palestra this weekend for the opening rounds of the 2013 NCAA Championships.
 
Rochester is serving as one of 16 hosts for the first two rounds. The Yellowjackets will play Emmanuel College of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference on Friday evening. The opening game on Friday will pitt the University of Scranton against Williams College. First round winners will meet on Saturday to play for the right to advance to the Sweet 16.
 
This is Rochester's 12^th NCAA playoff appearance, its seventh in the last eight years, and the ninth in the last 11 years. The Yellowjackets reached the Final Four three times – in 2002-03, 2003-04, and 2009-10.
 
Rochester was 19-6 this year and finished second in the University Athletic Association with an 11-3 record. The UAA placed three teams in the tournament this year. Team champion Emory is in the bottom half of the bracket and is hosting the first two rounds. Washington University is in a four-team group at Rhodes College in Tennessee.
 
Emmanuel College has a glittering history in women's basketball. Head coach Andy Yosinoff is in his 36^th year and enters Friday night's game with 709 career victories. Emmanuel has posted 13 straight 20-win seasons. The Saints have won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's championship for seven straight years. Emmanuel is 23-5 heading into Friday night and riding a 10-game winning streak.
 
This season, Emmanuel defeated the University of St. Joseph (CT), 74-60, in the first round, topped Albertus Magnus in the semifinals, 72-48, and defeated Suffolk University, 68-45, in the championship game. Fiona O'Dwyer was named the GNAC Tournament MVP. She averaged a team high 17.5 ppg. this year.
 
Emmanuel is the only Pool A (automatic qualifier) in this four-team group. The other three teams are Pool C (at-large) selections. Rochester was the runnerup in the UAA. Williams College is 22-5 heading into Friday. The Ephs were defeated in the championship game of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament, 53-38, by sixth-ranked Amherst College.
 
Scranton's Lady Royals finished as runners-up in the Landmark Conference. Scranton lost the title game to Catholic University, 72-52. The Lady Royals are 19-8.
 
The Palestra is no stranger to either Williams or Scranton. Williams played in the NCAA opening round here in 2010-11. Scranton was in the Palestra in November. The Lady Royals won Rochester's Chuck Resler Tournament, defeating St. John Fisher in the opening round and Rochester in the title game.
 
There are two common opponents between Rochester and Emmanuel. The Saints defeated Brandeis University on the road (62-46) in late November and lost to Scranton, 50-46, on a neutral court in California on new year's Eve. Rochester split home court decisions with Brandeis in UAA play (one week apart) and lost to Scranton in the Resler championship game.
 
Tickets will be priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students with ID. Children under the age of two will be admitted free of charge.

Full NCAA Bracket