Fairfield, CT - Sacred Heart added the last, and largest, piece to its puzzle of Northeast Conference perfection on Sunday afternoon at the Pitt Center. The top-seeded Pioneers outlasted No. 3 Saint Francis (PA), 74-66, in the 2009 NEC Women’s Basketball Championship Game presented by esurance to cap a perfect season (21-0) against league opponents.
Winners of 21 consecutive games dating back to December 30, the Pioneers captured their second NCAA Tournament berth in the last four years at the expense of Saint Francis’ 29-game NEC Tournament win streak.
The Red Flash, who won 27 consecutive Tournament games between 1996 and 2005, led only once, during the game’s first minute, but certainly kept the Pitt Center’s record crowd of 1,529 women’s basketball fans on the edge of their seats throughout.
NEC Tournament MVP Kaitlin Sowinski (Hopkinton, RI/Tabor Academy) gave Sacred Heart a 14-point lead, its largest of the game, when she scored two of her 20 points to put the score at 63-49 with 6:57 remaining in regulation, but a pair of Saint Francis underclassmen were quick to answer.
All-Tournament selections Brittany Lilley (Severna Park, MD/Severna Park) and Allison Daly (Harrisburg, PA/Trinity) scored four points apiece over the next 4:37 to bring the Flash within reach. Lilley’s steal and subsequent jumper capped an 11-2 run and brought Saint Francis within 65-60 with 2:20 to play.
The Flash could get no closer thanks to the free throw shooting of Sacred Heart sophomore guard Alisa Apo (Freehold, NJ/St. John Vianney). The 2009 NEC Player of the Year went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe over the final 2:03 to seal SHU’s second league title during its 10 seasons of NEC membership.
Returning to the NEC Tournament following a three-year absence, Saint Francis had its eyes on a 10th NEC crown, but the young Flash started slowly.
The Pioneers surged out to a 16-6 lead 7:12 into the game thanks to nine quick points from Apo, who finished 21 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Sowinski scored five points during the opening spurt as well to cap what was a monster three-game performance by the first team all-NEC post player. The 6-foot-4 Sowinski averaged 25.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks per contest during her final NEC Tournament run.
The Flash found themselves down 27-14 with 7:45 remaining in the first half before a short episode of the “Daly Show.” Saint Francis’ sophomore guard turned one of her team-high 10 rebounds into a lay-up at the other end before adding another bucket off an in-bounds steal to trim the deficit down to single digits.
Lilley followed with four of her 15 points in helping to close the gap to 33-29 heading into halftime.
Daly and Lilley joined Sowinski, Sacred Heart freshman Callan Taylor (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley North), and Monmouth senior forward LaKia Barber (Clinton, MD/Gwynn Park) on the 2009 NEC All-Tournament Team.
Taylor came within one point of her third consecutive postseason double-double. The rookie forward, who finished with nine points and 10 rebounds, tallied a near triple-double (14 pts., 13 reb., 8 assists) in the Pioneers’ semifinal victory over Monmouth. Barber averaged 16 points and seven rebounds over the Hawks’ two games.
2009 Northeast Conference
Women's Basketball Tournament
Quarterfinals and Semifinals at Sacred Heart University