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On a day in which the four games were decided by an average margin of 22 points, it was fifth-seeded St. Francis Brooklyn that made headlines in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 NEC Women's Basketball Tournament. The Terriers downed fourth-seeded Sacred Heart, 77-59, on the road to advance to the semifinals for the first time since the 2007 tourney. SFBK will visit top-seeded Central Connecticut, which posted a 72-51 win over eighth-seeded LIU Brooklyn. The other semifinal will pit second-seeded Bryant and third-seeded Robert Morris in Smithfield, RI. The Bulldogs ousted seventh-seeded Mount St. Mary's, 76-54, while the Colonials downed sixth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson, 89-61. Both semis will take place on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 pm ET. The games will air live on ESPN3 and NEC Front Row.
SUNDAY3.8.15QUARTERFINALSCAMPUS SITES@ HIGHER SEEDS
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#1 CCSU |
72 |
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#8 LIU Brooklyn |
51 |
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#2 Bryant |
76 |
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#7 Mount St. Mary's |
54 |
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#3 Robert Morris |
89 |
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#6 Fairleigh Dickinson |
61 |
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#4 Sacred Heart |
59 |
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#5 St. Francis Brooklyn |
77 |
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WEDNESDAY 3.11.15 SEMIFINALS CAMPUS SITES@ HIGHER SEEDS |
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#1 CCSU |
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#5 St. Francis Brooklyn |
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7 PM (ESPN3) |
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SF |
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#2 Bryant |
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#3 Robert Morris |
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7 PM (ESPN3) |
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SUNDAY 3.15.15 CHAMPIONSHIP@ HIGHER SEED |
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1 pm (ESPNU) |
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#1 Central Connecticut 72, #8 LIU Brooklyn 51
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New Britain, CT -- The Central Connecticut women's basketball team won its first round Northeast Conference Tournament game on Sunday, topping #8 seed LIU Brooklyn 72-51 in New Britain. The Blue Devils, the top seed in the tournament, advance to host St. Francis Brooklyn on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Detrick Gymnasium.
The Blue Devils and Blackbirds were tied 40-40 with 15:58 left in the second half before the Blue Devils put on a show in the final 16 minutes of the game. Central went on a 13-0 run to build a 53-40 lead over the next four minutes of action. The run would reach 19-1 before LIU made its first basket in over 10 minutes at the 5:49 mark of the second half.
Central would go on to the 72-51 win, holding the Blackbirds to 11 points in the final 16 minutes of the game. LIU would shoot just 5-of-24 from the field after halftime and finished the game shooting 16-of-50, good for 32 percent.
Four Blue Devils scored in double-figures in the win, led by 20 from senior Kaley Watras on 7-of-9 shooting and 3-of-4 from three. She hit a pair of threes during the big for the Blue Devils in the second half.
Senior Amanda Harrington added 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the line, while adding five rebounds. Freshman Camden Musgrave added 12 points, including a pair of threes, and sophomore Aleah Epps had 11 points and four boards to go along with four steals.
The balanced attack of CCSU this season, they had only one player average in double-figure points, was apparent as junior Kayla Miller had nine points and nine boards in 21 minutes of action. Junior Tejahne Malone, who led the Blue Devils in scoring this season, did not score in the win, but grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
LIU Brooklyn was led by Sophie Bhasin, an All-Conference selection this season, with 13 points and six rebounds. She was the only Blackbird to reach double-figures in the game.
Central advances and will host St. Francis Brooklyn, the #5 seed who upset #4 Sacred Heart on Sunday, on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Detrick Gym.
CCSU Head Coach Beryl Piper
Opening Statement
"Playing LIU you know they are such an athletic team and they play so hard for 40 minutes, I was just really proud of the girls. The game was close for a long time and we just stuck with the game plan and we were able to go on a run in the second half to break it away…but LIU has been a tough team all year…I said all year they didn't win a ton of games but they were in so many games it was not an easy game for us to play. I was just happy that we came away with a win and we got that first game monkey off our back."
“Our seniors played really well today, Amanda (Harrington) was 5-for-8 shooting and Kaley (Watras) was 7-for-9, they shot the ball really well and kind of what we expect from our seniors."
“It’s all about being a team, it's about everyone getting it done and just continuing to do that. Now it's just one game at a time."
"Defensively, we just did such a great job in the second half and we held them to 20% shooting and during that time we made a lot of great defensive plays that allowed us to get out in transition and get some easy baskets."
CCSU senior Kaley Watras on the start of the game for CCSU
"Adrenaline was definitely running at an all-time high (at the beginning of the game), but we went out there we didn't start off slow. We started off pretty well which we have struggled with before."
CCSU senior Amanda Harrington on her team winning the rebound battle
"Getting rebounds against a really good athletic team like LIU is huge for us, allowing us to push from the defensive end to the offensive end."
LIU Head Coach Gail Striegler
"I thought we played a good first half and then they took us out of our game in the second half in the man-to-man. They're one of those teams that once they get started I think they scored three three's and two two's and we didn't score in that time frame. We did not do a good job of when they went through that scoring spree of coming down and working on our offense. We jacked up quick shots and you can't do that against a really good team. They did a great good job on the boards. I knew coming in that whoever won the battle on the boards was going to have a great chance to win the basketball game and they dominated us on the boards. I think that had a lot to with because they are just a very hard team to play that has so many different pieces that can give every night and somebody else can score."
#2 Bryant 76, #7 Mount St. Mary's 54
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Smithfield, RI -- Behind a game-high 27 points from Northeast Conference Player of the Year Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio), the Bryant University women's basketball team took down seventh-seeded Mount St. Mary's, 76-54, Sunday afternoon in the NEC Tournament Quarterfinals.
With the win, the Bulldogs (22-8, 14-4 Northeast Conference) advance to the NEC Tournament Semifinals for the second-straight season, while the Mountaineers (8-22, 6-12 NEC) put a bookend on their 2014-15 season. The win also marks Bryant's 22nd of the year, matching a program record for wins in a single season.
"We are really excited to have another chance to go back to the semi-finals in the NEC Tournament," said Bryant head coach Mary Burke. "I think it's a big tribute to the players and their commitment all season.
"I thought we ran on all cylinders today after sputtering during the latter part of the regular season. I thought we played great defense, we were making shots, playing with great energy and I think at this point in the season, it's critical that everything is flowing in the right direction. I feel that was our big X-factor today."
The second-seeded Bulldogs earn the right to host #3 Robert Morris, Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center, after the Colonials knocked off Fairleigh Dickinson Saturday afternoon.
Rucker, who scored 15 of her game-high 27 points in the first 11+ minutes of action, added eight rebounds, going 4-of-4 from deep in 33 minutes of action. Junior Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) finished with 15 points, three rebounds and a game-high six steals, while freshman Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) chipped in 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from deep.
Senior point guard Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) put up eight points, seven assists, and four steals despite battling a mid-game injury and sophomore center Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) recorded a game-high 10 boards to go along with five points.
Jenn Carney led the Mount with 18 points while a pair of freshman, Jessica Harris and Katrice Dickson, each finished with 12 points.
Despite a pair of close games between the two teams during the regular season, Sunday's NEC Quarterfinal matchup was all Bryant from the get-go as the Bulldogs rode a 17-4 run to open the contest. The Mountaineers slowly chipped away at the deficit in a sloppy game that featured 43 total turnovers, cutting the margin to only four just before the half.
The first eight minutes of the second half brought along more back-and-forth play with the lead stuck in single digits until a 19-0 Bryant run from the 12:02 to 5:33 catapulted the Black and Gold to a 65-42 edge with just over five minutes to play.
The Bulldogs rode their sharp shooting, which featured 12 makes from 3-point range, to the 76-54 victory.
Looking ahead, Bryant and Robert Morris will link up in the NEC Tournament Semifinals for the second-straight season after the Colonials took down the Bulldogs, 72-67, on their way to the NEC Title in 2013-14; however this time, the two teams will square off at the Chace Athletic Center, Wednesday at 7 p.m. for the right to play in the NEC Tournament Championship.
Bryant Head Coach Mary Burke
Opening Statement
"We are real excited to have another chance to go back to the semi-finals in the NEC Tournament. I think it’s a big tribute to the players and their commitment all season. I thought we ran on all cylinders after sputtering lately. I thought we played great defense, we were making shots, playing with great energy and I think at this point in the season, it’s critical that everything is flowing in the right direction. I feel that was our big X-factor today."
On NEC Player of the Year Breanna Rucker
"When she is in the zone she is a beast. She can rebound, score and brings a lot of versatility. We feed a lot of energy off her effort and her ability to score out of the gate gave us a lot of bounce that helped us defensively."
On Making 3s
"We came into the game super focused and with a lot of energy. When the first one falls, especially early on, it gets contagious. I think we’ve just been a little inconsistent of late."
On Reaching the Semifinals
"I’m not sure we envisioned going back to the semifinals at the beginning of the year after losing four seniors. I think it’s a tribute to the players focus, determination and the quality of player we have in the program to bounce right back. It sends a message that we are going to consistently be one of the top teams in the NEC."
Mount St. Mary's Head Coach Bryan Whitten
Opening Statement
"Disappointing way to end the year. We thought we had a chance to come in and win the game. We as a staff thought we really had a shot. We were right there for a large portion of the game but we didn’t rebound when we needed to rebound the ball. We turned the ball over much more than we have in years. Tough loss for Jenn Carney. I feel bad for Jackie Brewer not being able to play. They have meant so much to our program and have been great ambassadors of our program and school."
#3 Robert Morris 89, #6 Fairleigh Dickinson 61
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Moon Township, PA -- Sophomore guard Rebeca Navarro scored a career high and sophomore guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou nearly recorded a triple-double as the Robert Morris University women’s basketball team ran away from Fairleigh Dickinson, 89-61, in the Northeast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals at the Charles L. Sewall Sunday afternoon. The Colonials, now 16-14 overall, shot a season-best 54.4% (31-57) en route to their best point total on the year.
“I give all the credit in the world to FDU. They came out very strong and played a very good first 30 minutes of the game,” said 12th-year RMU head coach Sal Buscaglia. “They took it to us and really showed no fear. You have to give credit to [FDU head] Coach Pete Cinella for having his kids ready. They shot the ball extremely well.
“On the other hand, our kids matched everything they did in the first half, their good shooting as well. We really came out with the energy and sense of urgency that we’ve been trying to teach this young team throughout the year. Today, all 11 [players] came out with passion, energy and a sense of urgency.“
Navarro finished with 23 points, going 8-of-12 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the charity stripe, but it was the way she did it that was most impressive. A shooting guard who came into the game with 39 three-pointers, Navarro did not hit a three in the game, instead scoring with a variety of drives and post-up moves. It was reflective of the Colonials as a whole.
“I’m a shooter, so 23 points without a three-pointer was weird,” said Navarro. “When other teams know you’re a shooter, they press you more and you have to expand your game. In this case, I knew I had an advantage driving to basket based on the scouting report, so I knew I had to take those opportunities.”
Robert Morris led the NEC in three-pointers and three-point percentage this season, but hit just 5-of-15 attempts Sunday. Instead, the Colonials went to work inside the arc going 26-42 (.619) on two-point attempts. All 11 Robert Morris players scored, the 11th time this season 10 or more players have found the scoring column.
Stamolamprou posted her first career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. She also tied her career high with eight assists, coming just two dimes shy of becoming the second player in Tournament history to record a triple-double. NEC All-Rookie team member Megan Smith chipped in with 12 points and Jolie Olingende highlighted a 32-point effort by the bench by tallying seven points and eight rebounds in just 12 minutes of action.
“It’s not only today, it’s always,” said Stamolamprou of the bench performance. “The coaches do a great job rotating 11 players and that’s impressive – not many teams in our conference do that. Today everybody gave energy, played with passion and came ready to play. You never know when you may have somebody in foul trouble, somebody gets injured, so all 11 of us always have to be ready to play.”
Neither team could miss during the game’s opening 20 minutes with the Knights converting at 56.0% and RMU doing slightly better at 58.6% percent. As a result of the tight play, the lead exchanged hands 11 times in opening frame with neither squad getting ahead by more than five points. Robert Morris would go into the break holding a 40-38 lead.
In the second half, Fairleigh Dickinson cooled off. The Colonials did not. The Knights used a 6-0 surge early in the second half to pull in front, 44-42. It was all RMU the rest of the way. The host squad converted at 50% in the second half while holding the Knights to just 7-of-32 shooting.
“We had our energy up and we executed our game plan the whole game. It wasn’t just the second half. In the second half, we had more open lanes to drive, but it was our defense and our game plan for the whole game,” said Stamolamprou.
A three-pointer by Smith started a 5-0 push that turned into a 15-4 Colonial run over the next six minutes that ended with seven straight RMU points. Fueled by 10 points from Navarro and eight by Stamolamprou, the run reach 31-11 with 5:03 to play and pushed the lead to 18 points. Seven consecutive points over the final two minutes of the game gave RMU its biggest lead of the game, 89-60, with just 39 seconds to play.
Erika Livermore, a first-team All-NEC selection, finished with 19 points to lead Fairleigh Dickinson. Kelsey Cruz chipped in 18 points and Tiffany Grant added 11. The Knights wrap up their season at 10-20 overall.
The Colonials search for a sixth NEC Tournament title continues Wednesday, March 11, when they travel to #2 seed Bryant University for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off. The Bulldogs advance to the semifinal round via 76-54 win over Mount St Mary’s. The home team won each meeting between the squads in the regular season.
Robert Morris Head Coach Sal Buscaglia
Opening Statement
"I give all the credit in the world to FDU. They came out very strong and played a very good first 30 minutes of the game. They took it to us and really showed no fear. You have to give credit to Coach Cinella for having his kids ready. They shot the ball extremely well. On the other hand, our kids matched everything they did in the first half, their good shooting as well. We really came out with the energy and sense of urgency that we’ve been trying to teach this young team throughout the year. Today, all 11 [players] came out with passion, energy and a sense of urgency.“
RMU's Anna Niki Stamolamprou on second half adjustments:
“We had our energy up and we executed our game plan the whole game. It wasn’t just the second half. In the second half, we had more open lanes to drive, but it was our defense and our game plan for the whole game.”
RMU's Anna Niki Stamolamprou on the performance off the bench
“It’s not only today, it’s always. The coaches do a great job rotating 11 players and that’s impressive. Not many teams in our conference do that and today everybody gave energy, played with passion and came ready to play. You never know when you may have somebody in foul trouble, somebody gets injured, so all 11 of us always have to be ready to play.”
RMU's Rebeca Navarro on scoring 23 points without a three-pointer
“I’m a shooter, so 23 points without a three-pointer was weird. When other teams know you’re a shooter, they press you more and you have to expand your game. In this case, I knew I had an advantage driving to basket based on the scouting report, so I knew I had to take those opportunities.”
FDU Head Coach Peter Cinella
Opening Statement
"I thought we played a great first half, as Robert Morris did. Both teams were incredibly offensively efficient. In the second half, Robert Morris continued to hit shot after shot and they took away some of the things we were doing to get good shots. Then we were missing easy shots. Then it was a snowball [effect]. They started getting some real easy looks as we were trying to scramble and press them to get steals. They don't really turn [the ball] over much. They're a tough team to pressure up late. Coach Sal [Buscaglia], that was about as good of a team as I've seen. I know they're very tough here at home and they showed why. They shot great from the field and kept their turnovers low."
#5 St. Francis Brooklyn 77, #4 Sacred Heart 59
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Fairfield, CT -- For the first time since the 2006-07 season, the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers are advancing to the Northeast Conference Semifinals. The Terriers upset the #4 seeded Sacred Heart Pioneers 77-59 in the NEC quarterfinals on the road in Fairfield.
St. Francis Brooklyn was paced by Northeast Conference All-Second Team member Jaymee Veney who scored a game-high 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the field . Sarah Benedetti added 19 points in the win to go along with five offensive rebounds.
The Terriers were down 24-12 at the 10:12 mark in the first half and responded with a 12-2 run where Alex Delaney scored 5 of her 12 total points. St. Francis Brooklyn tied the game at 29 when Eilidh Simpson converted on a free-throw attempt. They took a 38-37 lead going into halftime when Cassidy Derda was fouled on a three-point attempt and she would go on to make all three free-throws. As a team, the Terriers shot 19-for-25 (76.0%) from the charity stripe.
St Francis Brooklyn Head Coach John Thurston said the following in his post-game press conference: "I thought we played an outstanding second half. When you're playing Sacred Heart, they have so many good scorers and they have veterans, you never feel safe. We tried to stay on top of our players during timeouts and we told them not to get to carried away with having the lead, because Sacred Heart is always one or two shots from getting back into the game."
He added, "Sacred Heart is very difficult to beat here at home. We fell behind but we've experienced that before and we were able to come back. Jaymee has been a force for us over these last 10 games of the season. When she could score like that late in the game we are difficult to defend. Our seniors have been trying to get past the first round and move closer to their ultimate dream. There really isn't much more this group of seniors could accomplosh, both off and on the court. This was the only thing left. They have made us into an incredible program. I wanted this for them badly.I'm really happy for them. They have been the heart and soul of St. Francis Brooklyn women's basketball for the past four years."
In the second half, St. Francis Brooklyn outscored Sacred Heart 39-22. The Terriers came out the locker room and responded with an 11-3 run to take a 49-42 lead at the 15:24 mark. Sacred Heart would pull within two points with 10:43 left to play after a pair of Johanna Lopez free-throws. The Terriers would answer back with a 25-9 run to close out the game and secure their first Northeast Conference playoff victory in eight years. Over this extended 10 minute run, Veney would score 12 of her 25 total points. Benedetti scored 11 of her 19 in the second stanza.
Veney said, "I think we play better when we come from behind because we are so scrappy. At one point when we were down and weren't getting scores, I told my team to look inside, I want the ball. After a couple of kickouts and some scores, we were able to get back into the game and play the way we always do."
Sacred Heart's two seniors Gabrielle Washington and Katie Shepard led the Pioneers with 18 and 15 points, respectively. The Pioneers finish the season 16-13 after posting an 11-7 regular season conference record.
St. Francis Brooklyn Head Coach John Thurston
Opening Statement
"First of all, I thought we played an outstanding second half. The thing when you’re playing Sacred Heart, because they have so many good scorers and they have vets, you never feel safe. Gabby Washington has been a great player for 4 years, Katie Shepard and Hannah Kimmel can really score the ball so you never really feel like you’re safe. We tried to stay on top of our players during time outs no to get too carried away with a little bit of a lead because they’re one or two shots away from it. They’re very tough to beat here. They started out with what looked like a typical SHU game and they looked really confident in everything and we fell behind quite a bit early, but we’ve had that before and we’ve come back and gotten back in the game and played a good second half. Jaymee has really been a horse for us in the last 10 games of the season and we know we can always go to her. So when she’s scoring the ball late in the game, we’re difficult to defend. Again, I feel bad for their kids because they’re such a good team and some of their girls have had great kids, but I feel happy for ours because we’re in the same boat. Our seniors have been trying to get into the tournament and then get by the first round to try to accomplish their dream."
On the senior class making it past the first round:
"There really isn’t that much more that this group of seniors can accomplish both on and off the court. This was really the only thing—getting past the first round of the tournament. They’ve done so much to make us a credible program and be someone that you need to take seriously when you play. So I really wanted it badly for them to get closer to their dream, to get closer to the point where they have to cancel their spring break plans. That makes me happy. And I’m really happy for them because they’ve been the heart and soul of St. Francis basketball now for four years."
St. Francis Brooklyn's Jaymee Veney on playing from behind
"I think we’re best when we come from behind because we’re so scrappy. At one point, when we were getting down and not getting any scores, I was just like ‘guys looks inside. I want the ball.’ And after a couple scores and a couple kick-outs we got right back into the game and we started playing the same way we always do."
St. Francis Brooklyn's Jaymee Veney on preparing for the semifinals
"We have to have the same mindset as today. We have to go out that and know that every game from here on out could be our last game and we have to go out there and play hard because nobody wants to stop playing college basketball, especially not at this point."
Sacred Heart Head Coach Jessica Mannetti
Opening Statement
"It was not the outcome we had intended. I think that we got outplayed in the second half and unfortunately when we went away from our game plan it did not fair well for us. I think the effort was there and St. Francis did a good job making some adjustments, but at the end of the day, you score 22 points in a half and you’re not going to win."
On her senior class
"Gabby and Shep have left a legacy that gets to hang in the gym every day. Two great people and I wish them all the best. I think there effort today, there was no doubt that they played to win for 40 minutes, and they left it all on the floor. That’s all you can ask. So I think that having been through a championship program, they know what it takes and I wish I could have given them an opportunity today to take us further."