Quarterfinals
#1 Robert Morris 68, #8 Wagner 52
Loretto, PA -- Top-seeded Robert Morris was in control throughout its 68-52 victory over No. 8 Wagner in the quarterfinal round of the 2010 Northeast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday afternoon.
Robert Morris, who bowed out in the quarterfinals at last year’s Tournament after back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008, rides a 13-game win streak into Sunday’s semifinal showdown against No. 5 Saint Francis (PA).
Using a balanced attack that featured five scorers in double figures, the Colonials led the entire way after taking a 2-0 lead on a pair of free throws from Mary Durojaye (London, England) 1:40 into the contest.
“We want to tip our hats to Robert Morris; they played a great game,” said Wagner head coach Gela Mikalauskas.
RMU senior Monica Jones (Pittsburgh, PA/Howard College) dropped in a game-high 13 points. NEC Player of the Year Angela Pace (White Plains, NY/Monroe College) did a little of everything, tallying 10 points, five rebound, five assists, and four steals in 33 minutes. NEC All-Rookie selection Vega Gimeno-Martinez (Valencia, Spain) put forth 11 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double.
Making its first NEC Tournament appearance since 2004, Wagner received a team-high 12 points from junior Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy).
The Colonials led 38-27 at the break after making 6 of 12 three-point attempts over the first 20 minutes. Junior Bianca Hooten (Canton, OH/Bowling Green) accounted for three of those long distance connections, scoring nine points in 10 minutes off the bench.
Nyoto Patterson (Teaneck, NJ/Manhattan Center) opened the second half scoring, converting a layup off a steal by Olsen, to bring Wagner within nine, but the Seahawks would get no closer.
Pace made one of two free throws on Robert Morris’ ensuing possession to push the lead back to double digits where it would stay for the game’s remainder.
Wagner was within 13 points with 12:13 to play before the Colonials erupted on a 13-3 spurt to take their largest lead of the game, 64-41, on another free throw from Pace.
The Seahawks were plagued by poor shooting throughout the first half, shooting 25 percent.
“Their zone really gave us a lot of trouble and they made us hurry a lot on our shots,” said Mikalauskas. “The last time we played them at Wagner, when it was a really close game, we were knocking those same shots down.”
Quarterfinals
#2 Long Island 70, #7 Quinnipiac 63
Loretto, PA -- Second-seeded Long Island saw four of its players score in double figures as it defeated No. 7 Quinnipiac in the quarterfinal round of the 2010 Northeast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Sophomore Kiara Evans (Norcross, GA/Louisville) and junior Heidi Mothershead (Hagerstown, MD/St. John’s at Prospect Hall) scored 16 points apiece to lead Long Island, who will face No. 6 Central Connecticut State in the second of two semifinal games on Sunday at Saint Francis University’s Stokes Center.
LIU junior Chelsi Johnson (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Holy Spirit) netted 11 points and joined the 1,000-point club with a layup that gave the Blackbirds an 18-15 lead midway through the first half. Sophomore forward Ashley Palmer (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) added ten points to go along with nine rebounds.
Quinnipiac received a game-high 23 points from senior center Courtney Kaminski (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill) on 10-of-19 shooting. Junior Lailah Pratt (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra) recorded 12 points, nine boards, four assists while senior Kathleen Neyens (Jaffrey, NH/Conant) notched 10 points and six rebounds.
Long Island turned 18 offensive rebounds into 32 points in the paint.
The first half saw six lead changes with LIU taking a 38-24 lead into intermission. The Blackbirds closed the half on a 10-3 run highlighted by four points and two steals by freshman Krystal Wells (Douglasville, GA/Douglas County).
LIU held a double-digit lead through the first seven minutes of the second half until Quinnipiac’s Jacinda Dunbar (Edison, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) converted a layup that closed the QU deficit to eight points, 49-41 with 13:15 left in regulation.
The Blackbirds went on an 8-0 run in just over a minute to match their largest lead of the game, 64-50 with 6:00 left on a Mothershead three-pointer. Three minutes later, Mothershead connected on another trey.
“We got a couple of stops when we needed them tonight,” said LIU head coach Gail Striegler. “Heidi hit two big threes to help us.”
Quinnipiac wouldn’t quit and closed the gap to 67-63 with 1:53 to go but that was as close as the Bobcats would get.
“Tonight was a microcosm of our season,” said Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri. “We gave up a few offensive rebounds that hurt us.
Quarterfinals
#6 Central Connecticut State 63, #3 Sacred Heart 51
Loretto, PA -- Third-seeded Sacred Heart saw its title defense come to an end at the hands of No. 6 Central Connecticut State in the quarterfinal round of the 2010 Northeast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Blue Devils defeated their cross-state rival Pioneers, 63-51, on a neutral court to earn a second consecutive semifinal round appearance.
Central Connecticut State enjoyed a huge advantage on the boards, out-rebounding Sacred Heart, 51-36, and in the paint where they scored 34 points to Sacred Heart’s 14.
“Central Connecticut outtoughed us in a lot of areas,” said Sacred Heart head coach Ed Swanson. “They played tough and we didn’t respond to it.”
CCSU juniors Leanne Crockett (Manchester, CT/Manchester) and Justina Udenze (Hamden, CT/Hamden) did much of the work. The two forwards combined for 31 rebounds on the way to posting double-doubles. Crockett tallied 17 points and 13 rebounds while Udenze accounted for 17 points and 18 boards. Hitting seven field goals apiece, the two were responsible for 14 of the team’s 23 makes.
“I just felt that we had it in our heart to win that game,” said CCSU coach Beryl Piper. “It was so evident, the way Justina played, the way she was possessed on the boards and getting rebounds.”
Sacred Heart junior guard Alisa Apo (Freehold, NJ/St. John Vianney) was the lone Pioneer to score in double figures. The two-time All-NEC First Team selection poured in 26 points and pulled down seven rebounds without committing a single turnover.
Apo scored 15 points in the first half, but the Pioneers found themselves trailing 33-27 at the break. The New Jersey native hit a pair of free throws followed by a three-pointer to bring SHU within 35-34 2:05 into the second stanza, but the defending NEC champions would get no closer.
“I just think we were within one a lot of times, and we just couldn’t get that shot or that stop,” said Apo.
The Pioneers were plagued by poor shooting throughout the contest, finishing at 22.8 percent from the floor.
“We shot the ball horribly, 22 percent from the floor. That’s typically not us,” said Swanson. “We have to shoot the ball to be good.”
The No. 3 seed hasn’t been kind to Sacred Heart in recent years. Holding that position in 2008, the Pioneers fell to Monmouth in the quarterfinal round before rebounding to win it all one year later as the No. 1 seed.
, Saint Francis (PA) took advantage of a young Monmouth team in the second of Saturday’s four quarterfinal contests at the 2010 Northeast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament. The fifth-seeded Red Flash downed the fourth-seeded Hawks, 61-49, to advance to the semifinals for a second straight season.
The win was the Red Flash’s first over Monmouth, who starts four freshmen and one sophomore, in three tries this season.
Hodges, an All-NEC First Team guard, reached the 20-point mark for the 11th time as a senior. The 5-foot-6 point guard willed her team to a win by pouring in 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the field.
“Once again, Hodges took over and that’s what we expect from a senior point guard,” said Saint Francis (PA) head coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl. “Not just scoring, but everything.”
Hodges opened the game’s scoring with a layup 13 seconds after the opening tip, but Monmouth responded with seven straight points to take a 7-2 lead.
Playing on their home floor as the pre-determined site host for all quarterfinal and semifinal round games, the Red Flash erupted for 12 consecutive points to lead 14-7.
Hodges scored the first five points of the second half to give Saint Francis (PA) a lead it would never relinquish.
With the Red Flash leading 42-30 and 11:47 remaining, Womack finally broke through by scoring her first bucket of the game on an offensive put-back. The NEC Rookie of the Year finished with six points in 25 minutes of action.
“They played good defense,” said Womack. “I made some mistakes on the offensive end as far as shot selection and taking care of the ball, but they just played good defense.”