The University of Mary Washington women's basketball team and the St. Mary's College of Maryland men's basketball teams both suffered season-ending losses Friday in the 2008 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.

Mary Washington, appearing in the Sweet 16 for the third-straight year, was upended 48-45 by Tufts University in a sectional semifinal game at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa.

St. Mary's (19-12), advancing to the third round of the national championship in its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, dropped an 82-73 decision to 14th-ranked Millsaps (28-3) in a sectional semifinal game at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

In the women's contest, senior All-American center Liz Hickey UMW with 14 points, nine rebounds, and a pair of blocks, while Lisa Tracy added 12 points and seven rebounds.

Tufts was led by Colleen Hart's eight points and Vanessa Miller's seven. The Eagles forced 19 Jumbo turnovers, but committed 24 themselves. UMW led in rebounds, 44-38.

The game saw both teams shoot less than 30% from the floor, the Eagles didn't allow a Jumbo player in double figures. But Miller's three pointer, her only three of the game, with 1:31 to play proved to be the difference. 

The defeat ends the career of a senior class that had a 114-15 career record, most in school history. The group also finishes with a 10-4 career record in the NCAA Tournament in four appearances.

In the men's game, guard Alex Franz poured in a team-high 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the double-double to lead St. Mary's.  Senior guard Tyson Lesesne knocked down four long-range shots on the way to 14 points while center Alex Irmer chipped in 12 scores and snared seven boards.

Millsaps was led by forward Edrick Montgomery with game-highs of 27 points and 20 caroms.  Guard Chad Songy also drained 11-of-13 free throws on the way to 17 points.

The teams played neck-and-neck through the first 20 minutes, with Millsaps taking a 34-33 lead to the break on a Montgomery layup with six seconds left in the period.  SMC held the lead four times in the first half, but never by more than two points.  The game was also tied three times in the opening 20 minutes.

The Seahawks controlled the scoreboard through the first 13 minutes of the second half before Millsaps erased a three-point deficit with seven-straight points, including a trey and two free throws by Songy and a bucket by Montgomery. 

SMC stayed within six points the rest of the way, but Millsaps scored the final six points in the last 37 seconds of the game, all at the free throw line, to secure the nine-point victory.