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The home teams and top-four seeds all prevailed in NEC Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal round play on Sunday afternoon. Top-seeded Sacred Heart ousted #8 Mount St. Mary's, 66-47, behind a balanced scoring attack. The Pioneers held the Mount to 25.0 percent shooting from the floor. Bryant, the #2 seed, pulled away down the stretch to post a 70-56 win over #7 LIU Brooklyn behind a 24-point, 11-rebound effort by Breanna Rucker. Third-seeded Robert Morris received 24 points, six rebounds and six assists from Anna-Niki Stamolamprou in a 68-59 conquest of #6 Fairleigh Dickinson. In the closest game of the day, #4 Saint Francis U ended the game on an 11-3 run to post an 83-77 win over #5 Central Connecticut. NEC Rookie of the Year Jessica Kovatch netted 24 points for the victorious Red Flash. Sacred Heart and Saint Francis U will meet in one semi and Bryant and Robert Morris will face off in the other on Wednesday at 7:00 pm. Both games will air on ESPN3 and NEC Front Row.
#1 Sacred Heart 66, #8 Mount St. Mary's 47
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Fairfield, CT - The Sacred Heart women's basketball team advanced to the Northeast Conference semifinals with Sunday's 66-47 defeat of the eight seeded Mount St. Mary's in the quarterfinal round. Behind NEC Player of the Year Hannah Kimmel's (Harpursville, N.Y.) tenth double-double of the season, the Pioneers clinched NEC Coach of the Year Jessica Mannetti's first NEC Tournament win of her three-year career.
SHU started off hot jumping out to an early 10-0 lead, thanks to Adaysha Williams (LaCrosse, Wis.) and Kelcey Castro (Fair Lawn, N.J.) landing the first four field goals of the game, and never looked back.
"I’m very pleased with our effort today," said SHU head coach Jessica Mannetti. "Defensively overall we put forth a really good effort to propel energy into our offense. I love our effort. We had four players in double digit scoring, we shared the ball, we got a lot of touches to everybody on the team. In March, when you have a lot of pressure on you coming in as the number one seed in the tournament I think our response right from the tip was really really good. I'm excited for post season, I'm excited for Wednesday and I'm really proud of our effort today."
With the two high seeds, Bryant and Robert Morris, winning the early games, the Pioneers will host No. 4 Saint Francis U on Wednesday night in the William H. Pitt Center for a 7:00 p.m. semifinal game on ESPN3.
Noteworthy:
- The Pioneers held Mount St. Mary's to single-digit scoring in both of the first two quarters, allowing the Mount to score seven in the first and nine in the second
- Sacred Heart landed a season-high 11 three-point field goals
- Kimmel recorded her tenth double-double of the season adding 10 rebounds to her game-leading 12 points
- In addition to Kimmel, three other Pioneers reached double figures as Castro tied the NEC Player of the Year with 12 points, and Williams and Tykera Carter (Alexandria, Va.) each tallied 11
- Williams was nearly perfect from the floor knocking down four of her five shots, and going 3-for-3 from deep
1st Quarter:
- Williams gave the Pioneers an early three-point lead, knocking down the shot from the right corner on the game's first possession. Castro tacked on four more driving the lane for two baskets forcing Mount St. Mary's to call a timeout less than two minutes into the game
- The Pioneers extended their lead to 10-0 before the Mountaineers got on the board with a layup from Seraphina Arthur-Williams with 6:19 on the clock
- Sacred Heart held the Mount to just two field goals and seven points in the opening chapter to go into the second quarter leading 17-7
2nd Quarter:
- Shelby Hickey (Littleton, Colo.) got things started in the second draining a three to give the Pioneers 20 points. MSM held Sacred Heart there through the next five minutes while it went on to score four points to bring SHU's lead down to nine points
- Carter snapped SHU's scoring drought hitting the long three just before the five-minute mark
- Alexis Carter answered with a three of her own sparking a 6-2 streak for the Mount that once again brought Sacred Heart's lead down to single-digits, 25-16, with 2:50 remaining in the half
- A Kimmel three got things going again for the Pioneers, igniting a seven points run that SHU road to the halftime buzzer, improving their lead to 32-16 at the break
3rd Quarter:
- Kimmel got things started in the second half with back-to-back threes inside the first minute of the quarter
- Mount St. Mary's outscored SHU 6-2 over the next two minutes to bring the Pioneers' lead back until 20 points. Williams, Alissa Tarsi (Clinton, N.J) and Castro pushed the lead back out to 23 points with an 8-2 run
- The Mount made it a 16-point game, scoring seven straight, but Carter scored the final five points of the quarter, including the buzzer-beating triple, to give SHU a 53-32 going into the game's final stanza
4th Quarter:
- MSM got the first four points of the fourth quarter, forcing Mannetti to call a timeout. Coming out of the break, Lerae Ettienne (Kensington, Md.) started back-and-forth action
- With 5:31 remaining in the game, the senior and Hickey combined for a 7-2 streak over a four minute period to put SHU up 64-24 heading into the game's final minute
Postgame Quotes
SHU head coach Jessica Mannetti
"I’m very pleased with our effort today. Defensively overall we put forth a really good effort to propel energy into our offense. I love our effort. We had four players in double digit scoring, we shared the ball, we got a lot of touches to everybody on the team. In March, when you have a lot of pressure on you coming in as the number one seed in the tournament I think our response right from the tip was really really good. I'm excited for post season, I'm excited for Wednesday and I'm really proud of our effort today."
Jessica Mannetti on outside game
"When I looked down at the stat sheet, I said oh my goodness we shot 25 3’s today which is more 3’s that we've shot in a game in a long time. But when I saw that we made 11 I was pretty pleased with shooting 44%. We have dynamite shooters and when they are on we are really tough to defend because of our inside out presence. I was really pleased with our effort overall but the 3’s were a nice icing on the cake."
Mannetti on difference between regular season vs Mount
"Our defensive effort was better.The second time we played (Mount) we did not start well, and the first game we played we did not finish well, so putting 2 halts together for us today was a really big factor in our success."
Jessica Mannetti on pressure
"We do it one day at a time, what we preach as a staff, the (the team) have really bought in, is we have 120 minutes of post season to play great team basketball, thats what our goal is, and we do it one game at a time, one quarter at a time, one minute at a time, one possession at a time. I think that approach really helps ease the nerves a little bit and we can play our best basketball. I was happy with our response to pressure. Some teams it freezes them, and others it fuels them, and I think it fueled us today."
Hannah Kimmel on fast start
"Confidence is the number one thing, you want to shut down (Mount's) confidence. Coach tells us, don’t give them anything, don't let them get going and i I think today we really came out with a bang."
Hannah Kimmel on team sharing the ball
"Anybody on the team that you get the ball too can put the ball in the basket. I think it can be difficult for teams to defend against us because they have to keep an eye on everybody thats out there. It’s definitely a big factor that helps us."
Kelcey Castro on pressure of playoffs
"We work hard everyday, it shows on the floor. We have a great coaching staff, we have a system that we believe in and we bring it everyday."
Bryan Whitten opening statement
"I just want to congratulate Jess on a great season. Her and her team have played consistently all year long and done the things necessary to be where they are at. Her kids play hard and really did a great job."
Bryant Whitten on Hannah Kimmel
"Well Kimmel’s not an inside player, I mean, she's a guard, you look at her shots, she's going to shoot from the perimeter, she's not going to post you up. We didn't defend transition well, we didn't defend the 3 point shot well and thats what (SHU) does."
#2 Bryant 70, #7 LIU Brooklyn 56
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Smithfield, RI -- After leading by only three halfway through the fourth, the Bryant University women's basketball team scored 11-unanswered points to seal the, 70-56, Northeast Conference Quarterfinal over LIU Brooklyn, Sunday afternoon in Smithfield.
The Blackbirds continued to knock on the door in the fourth, pulling within three, 59-56, after junior Shanovia Dove hit her fourth bucket from behind the arc at the 4:35 mark. The LIU Brooklyn 3-pointer marked the last field goal, as the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run to take the NEC Quarterfinal, 70-56.
Behind senior Breanna Rucker's (Cincinnati, Ohio) 20th double-double of the season, off 24 points and 11 rebounds, including 10 points in the final quarter, the Bulldogs pulled away for the win. Rucker finished 10-of-13 (76.9 percent) from the floor. Freshman Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) scored a career-high 16 points, hitting 3-of-5 from downtown, while dishing out six assists. Sophomore Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) contributed 12 points and six rebounds, while tallying a career and game-high eight assists.
LIU Brooklyn was led offensively by Dove, who finished with a game-high 28 points, finishing 9-for-19 (47.3 percent) overall, 4-for-11 (36.3 percent) and 6-for-6 from the line. Senior Jolanna Ford grabbed 10 rebounds for the Blackbirds, but the Bulldogs won the battle on the glass, 38-29, grabbing 14 offensive boards.
After being held scoreless for the opening four minutes, Palmer hit a three to pull the Bulldogs within two, 5-3. The rookie followed it up with a pass to junior Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.) in transition to tie the contest, 5-5, with 5:25 to play in the first. After grabbing the defensive board, junior Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) received the ball back in transition at the top of the key, slotting the three to pull the Bulldogs ahead, 10-7, with 3:37 on the clock. The Blackbirds were able to regain the lead, 17-13, stringing together three-unanswered baskets to end the quarter.
The Blackbirds continued their 10-point run in the second, finding a six-point lead, 19-13, after senior Shanice Vaughan finished the layup with 9:21 to go in the half. At the 7:26 mark, Dove reached double digits (12), nailing the three to put the visitors up, 22-16.
The Black and Gold mounted their comeback in the second, taking the lead back midway through the second after a nine-point run. Palmer and Bailey hit back-to-back threes, tying the game, 22-22, at the 5:58 mark in period. The Bulldogs next trip down the floor put the home team up three, 25-22, after Bailey finished the layup and three-point play at the line with 5:36 to go before the break.
Bryant found their first double-digit margin, 37-26, scoring nine-unanswered points for the second time in the quarter. Palmer hit Klein with her fourth assist, as the forward finished the layup to kick start the run at the 4:08 mark in the second. Freshman Haley Connors (West Hartford, Conn.) found her first points of the contest, stroking one from downtown to extend Bryant's lead to nine, 35-26. A pair of free throws by Rucker pushed the Bulldogs' advantage to 11, ending the half 37-26.
At the 7:09 mark in the third, another Dove 3-pointer cut the Blackbirds deficit back to single digits, 42-33. Connors found her second three of the day, collecting the crosscourt pass from senior Maureen Leahy (Springfield, Pa.) and drilling the three to put Bryant on top, 51-43, with 0:56 remaining in the period. LIU Brooklyn strung together series of small runs in the third to help pull within five, 51-46, heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
The Bulldogs would hold onto the lead through the forth, defeating the Blackbirds, 70-56. Bryant now looks to the NEC Semifinals, when they host No. 3 Robert Morris in the Chace Athletics Center at 7 p.m.
"For us to get to the promise land, it is only fitting that we have to go through Robert Morris since we have some history against them in the postseason, said head coach Mary Burke. "They are a very talented bunch who will come into our place ready to play, not only because of the veteran players they have but also because Coach Sal Buscaglia is retiring after the year. They have another incentive to make a deep push to the tournament final. We will do what we have done all year which is give it our best effort. I'm sure we have a lot of memories from the past against Robert Morris that we can use as motivation to get us prepared both mentally and physically for Wednesday."
Postgame Quotes
Bryant Head Coach Mary Burke opening statement
“I’m extremely happy for the program that we are getting back to the semifinals for the third time. I thought we were a little nervous out of the gate and a little tight, but we got things going. Talking in the locker room and at practice over the last couple of days, some of the keys we needed to work on from the last time we played LIU Brooklyn were not turning the ball over because they capitalized on those mistakes. The other thing was doing a better job on the offensive boards and keeping them off the glass on the defensive end. With that said I think LIU came in here ready to play and they were not intimidated playing a higher seed on the road. I think coach Steph Oliver did a great job this season and was the coach of the year in my opinion. She had her girls ready to play and they gave us their best forcing us to give everything that we had in order to get this win. Breanna Rucker had a huge game, which is what we expect from her, and Kierra Palmer had a great floor game, and to handle this environment as a freshman with all of the expectations as the No. 2 seed was tremendous on her part. I thought Ivory Bailey played great as well, but at the end of the day we have higher aspirations and we aren’t happy with where we are just yet. We are going to continue to work and move forward to the semifinals and we are very happy that we have the opportunity in front of us.”
Bryant head coach Mary Burke
Thoughts on the semifinal game, as Robert Morris will be the opponent come Wednesday?
Burke: “For us to get to the promise land, it is only fitting that we go through Robert Morris since we have some history against them in the postseason. They are a very talented bunch who will come into our place ready to play, not only because of the veteran players they have but also because Coach Sal Buscaglia is retiring after the year. They have an extra incentive to make a push to the tournament final. We will do what we have done all year which is give it our best effort. I’m sure we have a lot of memories from the past against Robert Morris that we can use as motivation to get us prepared both mentally and physically for Wednesday.”
Bryant's Breanna Rucker
Can you talk about how you guys were able to overcome the slow start, with you guys starting a little tight, how were able to turn that around in the second quarter?
Rucker: “We just came together as a team after the slow start. It was all positivity and a lot if it was support from the bench. When the five are on the floor, the bench can see things sometimes that we can’t. It’s that communication from everyone that allows us to stick together instead of falling apart.”
Coach Burke added: “I think when you have an upperclassmen team that has been here before, you stay the course. We believe in our defense, we believe we will get opportunities and easier looks throughout the game, and I think that prior experience in the postseason really helped us out today.”
Bryant's Kierra Palmer
With this being your first tournament game as a freshman, was there any nervousness on your end?
Palmer: “The nervousness was definitely there, it was a fast-paced game but the seniors told me to slow down. Tiersa Winder in particular did a great job of calming me down on the bench, she really stepped up saying that for me.”
You guys went down six in the second quarter, but you got right back into the game and took a lead for good with two threes and a 3-point play, how crucial was that stretch?
Palmer: “That stretch started because of the defense, it really stepped up and we started talking more and we got help from our bigs down low.”
Bryant's Brenna Rucker
This has been a veteran team from the start of the season, but how did it feel to see some of the younger players play so well today?
Rucker: “It is nice to not always be relied on so heavily during the course of the game, and to see the maturation of the younger players throughout the year turning over into the postseason is great. The freshmen and sophomores we have like Kierra, Ivory, Haley Connors have all developed and come into their own and it makes me feel better stepping onto the court when they know what is expected of them. They really alleviate some of the pressure that is put on the upperclassmen.”
Opening statement from LIU head coach Stephanie Oliver
“I’m really proud of what our girls did today, coming out and grabbing a lead after the first quarter is something that gave us confidence in the game. But Coach Burke and her team played an awesome contest, and it is really hard to stop Rucker. She is an outstanding player, but I’m just extremely proud of what my team was able to accomplish this year.”
LIU head coach Stephanie Oliver
Coach Burke thought that you should have gotten coach of the year based on your performance this season. Can you talk about the effort your girls gave today and all year?
Oliver: “We told our seniors and all of our players in the locker room that it is not easy to have a whole new coaching staff come in and have veteran players buy in to a new regime. It started off slow for sure, but I think they did buy in to what we were coaching down the stretch and it was really nice to see their hard work pay off with this postseason berth. They gave us their all in each and every game. We didn’t have too many double-digit losses this year which shows the leadership and effort from our seniors trickle down to all the players. That is a really good Bryant team that is so difficult to play. We lost to them three times this year and each game was a tough physical outing, I really do wish them the best of luck.”
Shanovia Dove’s performance today, scoring 28 points, can you comment on that?
Oliver: “It was amazing, she is such a great player. The lights go on and so does she, so it was awesome to watch her perform. I think she got a little tired towards the end of the game, because playing the full 40 minutes isn’t always easy, but she was able to spread the ball around today with a few assists in addition to the scoring. I think if she consistently plays like she did today, it will help us in the future.”
#3 Robert Morris 68, #6 Fairleigh Dickinson 59
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Moon Township, PA -- Faced with an early nine-point deficit, the Robert Morris University women’s basketball team used a well called timeout to storm back for a 68-59 win over Fairleigh Dickinson University in a Northeast Conference Tournament quarterfinal game at the Charles L. Sewall Center. The third-seeded Colonials improve to 18-12 on the year and will travel to #2 Bryant for a 7:00 p.m. game Wednesday, March 6. The Bulldogs advanced to the semifinal round courtesy of a 70-56 win against LIU Brooklyn.
“I’m so proud of these young ladies. We had some bumps in the road this season, but we stayed together as a team and I told them ‘We’re never going to give up’,” said 13th year RMU head coach Sal Buscaglia. “Today we started off slowly, but we certainly bounced back quickly, went on a real good run after that. All the credit to these young ladies – we’ve really grown as a team. We didn’t finish the game as strongly as we wanted to, but in between the beginning and end, we played really good.”
Junior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou, an All-Northeast Conference Second Team selection, finished with a season-high 24 points. She added six rebounds, six assists and three steals to her stat line. Lou Mataly added 10 points on a perfect shooting game in which she went 3-for-3 from the field, including a pair of treys, and was 2-2 from the chalk. A total of 10 Colonials scored, the 11th time this season that at least 10 have scored in a game.
Fairleigh Dickinson (11-21) went on a 10-0 run early in the first quarter, building a 14-5 lead when Kiana Brown buried a trey with 3:59 in the opening frame. The Colonials called a timeout at that point, and immediately responded.
After the stoppage, Stamolamprou found Megan Smith, who had six points and nine rebounds, to start a 20-4 run that featured scoring from six players. The Colonials scored seven straight before FDU got the final bucket of the opening quarter to give the visiting team a 16-12 lead.
Robert Morris then reeled off eight straight to start the second quarter, including four from Mikalah Mulrain, to regain the lead. An Anastasia Williams jumper briefly stopped the run, but Smith followed with a jumper and Stamolamprou buried a three to put the Colonials on top, 25-18, with 3:34 left in the half. RMU would head into the break carrying a 31-25 lead.
Fairleigh Dickinson tried to make the game interesting in the third quarter behind the quick strike capabilities of Kelsey Cruz. She scored seven of her team-high 18 points in a three-minute stretch of the third quarter, powering an 8-3 run that pulled the Knights to within three points. But Stamolamprou answered with a trey before Nia Adams came up with a steal and lay-in to quickly return the lead to eight points.
The Knights would not get closer than that the rest of the way. Stamolamprou scored seven points in a two-minute stretch, including four from the chalk, to help RMU to a game-high 16-point lead, 64-48, with 1:24 left in regulation.
Notes: The victory was the 18th NEC Tournament victory for Buscaglia, increasing his league record for post-season wins … RMU is now 17-2 in home NEC playoff games … The Colonials are 7-0 all-time against six seeds in the tourney … Robert Morris is 132-38 (.776) at home since the 2004-05 season.
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Sal Buscaglia Opening Statement
“I’m so proud of these young ladies. WE had some bumps in the road this season, but we stayed together as a team and I told them ‘We’re never going to give up.' Today we started off slowly, but we certainly bounced back quickly, went on a real good run after that. All the credit to these young ladies – we’ve really grown as a team. We didn’t finish the game as strongly as we wanted to, but in between the beginning and end, we played really good.”
Anna Niki Stamolamprou on season-high 24 points
"You just play the game. You just give it all. Especially with a playoff game - you win you go on, lose and you go home."
Anna Niki Stamolamprou on possibility of it being Sal's last game
"Sure, it's more motivating. We don't want it to be his last game right now. I think we'd like have at least three more games for him."
Megan Smith on the 20-4 first half run
"It was really just making sure that we stopped (Kelsey) Cruz and (Erika) Livermore. If they got hot, their run would just keep going. We knew we had to stop them and force other players from FDU to score."
Lou Mataly on pulling away in the second half
"We got together and focused on making individual stops. After the first half, we figured its just 20 minutes left. Let's play great defense, look for easy shots. And I think we valued the ball a lot and were really patient on offense."
FDU head coach Pete Cincella opening statement
"I am proud of my team for playing hard. I loved how our two seniors; Erika and Kelsey, battled until the end. We could never cut the lead down to that single digit mark we were looking for in the second half. Erika has played here for five years and Kelsey has played here for four and they battled until the very end. They have to hold their heads up high. Not the outcome we wanted but we played hard for 40 minutes."
#4 Saint Francis U 83, #5 Central Connecticut 77
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Loretto, PA -- Saint Francis used a 11-0 run late in the fourth quarter to defeat Central Connecticut 83-77 in the Northeast Conference Quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon.
Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) led four players in double figures for the Red Flash with 24 points while Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) added 20 points and seven rebounds to lead the offense. TeJahne Malone had her third double-double against the Flash this season, leading the Blue Devils with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
"We're happy we won, obviously," head Coach Joe Haigh said afterwards. " It was a great playoff game. It's the first playoff game for all of the people up here, in this uniform at least. It's a different experience being in a playoff game. Overall, I thought we did a real nice job most of the game. We had a few shaky minutes, but we learned from them."
The two teams traded shots and runs for much of the game as the teams combined for eight ties and 14 lead changes on Sunday. The Blue Devils came out scorching, hitting their first four shots and seven of their first 10. A 10-3 run midway through the quarter put CCSU up 18-11. In what would become a game-long trend, SFU answered with a run of their own. Five straight points by Reese and a three by Kovatch closed the quarter on a 10-4 spurt to make it 22-21 CCSU after the first 10 minutes.
The Blue Devils jumped out to their largest lead of the game, using a 9-1 start to the quarter to grab a 31-22 lead just three minutes into the second. Saint Francis began chipping away at the lead, a traditional three-point play by Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) and a put back by Halee Adams (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) cut the lead to two. The Flash pulled even with the Blue Devils late in the half on the back of Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md./Western (Hampton U)). Her put back got the Flash within two and the graduate student fed Courtney Zezza (Plum, Pa./Plum) for the tying lay-up moments later. The teams went into the locker room tied at 40.
"I didn't realize, just looking through this, how many times we were down seven or nine in the first half," Haigh said. "That's a credit to our team, I never sensed any panic in the team when we were down seven, eight or nine. That's a big step in growth."
It would be the defense that sparked the Red Flash in the third quarter. SFU held the Blue Devils scoreless for over three minutes as Jess Kovatch got hot offensively. The NEC Rookie of the Year scored seven-straight points as part of a 10-0 run to give SFU their largest lead at 56-45. Now it was the CCSU defense's turn to spark a run. The Blue Devils held the Flash scoreless in the ensuing three minutes as they erased the SFU double-digit lead. An Andi Lydon three gave the Blue Devils a 59-58 lead and CCSU took a 64-63 advantage into the fourth.
The teams went shot-for-shot in the early goings of the fourth, an Aleah Epps three put the Blue Devils up four, only to see Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) answer back with a three to make it a one-point game with seven minutes left. The teams went scoreless for nearly three minutes midway through the quarter before Aisha Brock (Jacksonville, Fla./Potter's House Christian Academy) gave SFU back the lead with a driving lay-in. The senior came off the bench to score 13 points on Sunday. Two Malone free throws gave the Blue Devils back the lead, but the SFU defense held solid. The two Malone free throws were the only points SFU surrendered for a seven-minute stretch in the quarter. A Kovatch jumper tied the game and another Brock lay-in gave the Flash the lead for good. The aforementioned 11-0 run would stretch the SFU lead to as many as nine in the final minutes before a CCSU three ended the streak. Following a Flash turnover, Courtney Zezza (Plum, Pa./Plum) rose up to block a Nicole Ferguson three-pointer, putting an exclamation point on the victory. A final Blue Devils three was off the mark and Saint Francis punched their ticket to the NEC Semi-Finals and a trip to Sacred Heart.
"Down the stretch, the last 3-4 minutes, we couldn't be much better," Haigh said. "Overall, we did a great job of executing different things we were asking them to do. Offensively, it was nice, because we were in a situation where we didn't have to change a lot of things. We ran our basic offense and we were more patient than we've been in the past. We started hitting those shots that opened up in the last four minutes."
Central Connecticut scored 22 points off of 18 Red Flash turnovers while SFU scored 14 off of 13 Blue Devil miscues. The Flash out rebounded CCSU 46-40, led by Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md./Western (Hampton U))'s 13 and held a 12-4 edge in second-chance points.
"Going into this game, I made a personal goal to get 20 rebounds, " Ward said after the game. " I didn't quite get it, but even the ones I didn't get, I got my hands on and deflected to my teammates. I think we did a good job of having everyone involved in rebounding. Everyone was crashing the boards this game, so I wasn't just by myself in there. I think we did a good job of, before the game, committing to helping each other out and having each other's back."
Aisha Brock (Jacksonville, Fla./Potter's House Christian Academy)'s 13 points puts her eight points shy of 1000 in her career. Kovatch hit two more threes on Sunday, giving her 96 for the season and putting her four behind Alexa Heyward for most in a season in SFU history. Sunday's victory was the 44th NEC Tournament win for Saint Francis, the most in Conference history.
Central Connecticut ends their season at 12-18 while the Red Flash improve to 14-16 overall on the season and they advance to the NEC Semi-Finals for the third time in four seasons. They advance to Wednesday's NEC Tournament semi-finals to face top-seeded Sacred Heart. Tip time from the Pitt Center is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Postgame Quotes
Saint Francis U Head Coach Joe Haigh Opening Statement
"We’re happy we won. It was a great playoff game. It’s the first playoff game for all of the people up here. In this uniform at least. It’s a different experience being in a playoff game. Overall, I thought we did a real nice job most of the game. We had a few shaky minutes, but we learned from them. It felt like we got better and stronger as the game went along. These guys played a great game and we did a great job defensively when we needed to the last 3-4 minutes of the game. Really exciting game, I thought."
Saint Francis U Head Coach Joe Haigh
Q: On a grading scale, how well did you execute the adjustments you made from the first two games against Central Connecticut State?
"B-plus or A-minus. We were very good in the second half. I think we were all disappointed in how the first half went. One of the keys we needed to do was to really communicate what we were doing defensively, because we were changing defenses a lot. There were a lot of things happening on the floor that the five out there had to communicate what matchups they had and where they were in the defense. We had to communicate in those defenses. In the first half, we had some communication breakdowns and Central Connecticut State really capitalized on them. If we missed something, they got a layup or three. In the second half, we were better and we built that lead gradually. When things got heated up a little bit, we struggled for a minute or two there. In the fourth quarter, we went back to playing our regular defenses that we’ve played all year, but they executed it very well. Down the stretch, the last 3-4 minutes, we couldn’t be much better. Overall, we did a great job of executing different things we were asking them to do. Offensively, it was nice, because we were in a situation where we didn’t have to change a lot of things. We ran our basic offense and we were more patient than we’ve been in the past. We started hitting those shots that opened up in the last four minutes."
How did you do matching the physicality of CCSU?
"I’d give us an “A” in that area. We really did a good job, especially defensively. We were set most of the time and we did match the physicality that they played with. That’s a good thing for us. It’s good for us going forward in the playoffs. That’s the first time we’ve played a Triangle-and-Two in my career here. We did it a little bit in the last week of the season to get prepared for this playoff game. I felt CCSU was a team we could get matched up against, so we had that in to work on for this game. We did a great job executing today."
Saint Francis U's Katie Reese
Katie, what was your mindset going into the first half that allowed you to make the plays you did?
"I had opportunities to make plays and take good shots. My mindset is I just want to win. Just look at the scoreboard and take it one play at a time. I don’t really care who’s shooting as long as we’re taking good shots."
Saint Francis U's Halee Adams
Halee, you had a key turnaround jumper late in the fourth quarter. Is that a shot you are comfortable with or was that a desperation shot?
"I practiced that in high school. It’s kind of a go-to shot for me."
Saint Francis U's Brielle Ward
Brielle, what was your mindset going into this game after how the first two games went against CCSU?
"Going into this game, I made a personal goal to get 20 rebounds. I didn’t quite get it, but even the ones I didn’t get, I got my hands on and deflected to my teammates. I think we did a good job of having everyone involved in rebounding. Everyone was crashing the boards this game, so I wasn’t just by myself in there. I think we did a good job of, before the game, committing to helping each other out and having each other’s back."
Saint Francis U's Jessica Kovatch
Jess, in the second half, you came out more aggressive scoring the ball. Were you feeling it or were you just going with the flow of the offense?
"I was disappointed in myself after the first half. I know I can do better. I wanted to pick it up in the second half. My shots started falling and that helped me to move the ball around and get my teammates open as well."
Saint Francis U's Brielle Ward & Head Coach Joe Haigh
With a young team, with not much experience in these playoff situations, how did your mentality change from the first two games?
Ward: "Before practice yesterday, we had a great team meeting where everyone was ready to go and everyone was focused on their role. In the first two games, we knew we could beat this team as long as we locked down on defense. I think we all came together and said what our roles would be in this game and everyone individually did their part. Halee wasn’t as passive with her shot. Katie kept her composure and made sure she made the right reads on offense. Jess hit big shots and played with confidence. Aisha [Brock] came in and made some great plays. I rebounded at a high level and Maya [Wynn] took care of the ball. I think we all bought into our roles and never panicked. We kept our composure. Even when we felt like one person was coming unglued, we ran over and said ‘we got this’. We stayed in-tune as a team. We said before the game we have to have each other’s back and make sure that we stay in it as a team and we executed that well."
Haigh: "They know when you get into playoffs, players are the ones that win the games when it matters. They’re the ones that get it done in those situations. I didn’t realize, just looking through this, how many times we were down seven or nine in the first half, but I never sensed any panic in the team when we were down seven, eight or nine. That’s a big step in growth in our team. When Bri says ‘having a team meeting’, that’s something they did to be ready for the playoffs. Everyone in the locker room knows how good we can be when we play a certain way. There’s a certain style our team has that we’re very good at. When we get taken out of that, that’s when we struggle. Today, we kind of got over that hump of what teams were doing against us. Teams have been physical, taking us out of where our comfort level is. That meeting they had yesterday, that’s the leadership Bri has brought to this program. I think it’s a great thing for our team and locker room. We can’t thank her enough for what she’s done for this program. We built from nothing in October to now. I think the leadership of Brielle and Aisha, in the locker room, going into this playoff game, knowing what it takes to advance through this situation, helped everybody. We wouldn’t be sitting here, ready to play Sacred Heart if it wasn’t for the leadership of Brielle and Aisha throughout the season."
CCSU Head Coach Beryl Piper Opening Statement
"Hard to give an opening statement after a loss, but you know, it was a tough game. I think both teams played really hard. [Saint Francis] shot the ball just a little bit better than we did in the second half, and I think that was the difference in the game.
CCSU Head Coach Beryl Piper
You guys obviously had control in the first two games pretty handedly. What do they do different that allowed them to win?
"They played a different Triangle-and-Two for a lot of the game. They played it the last few games, which takes away a couple of our players and we really felt that we had enough players to knock down shots. And I think in we worked on it in practice and I thought we did a pretty good job in practice scoring. They made us uncomfortable by playing that defense that not everybody plays. It is the first time all year that we have gone against it. You know, I thought we made some good plays. You know late, and got them out of it. To their credit, they went to their two one two and played man and played some different things late in the game. But their triangle defiantly took us out of our rhythm and did not pressure us quite as much. Transition wise, we didn’t score much in transition and didn’t pressure us quite as hard as they did the first couple of times."
Second chance points were 12-4. Talk about what the difference that they were able to rebound?
"No, I mean that stat is always a big stat in order to be successful; to have to out-rebound the other team. When you out-rebound, you often win, and they did that. We took 10 more shots than they did, so we had that many more opportunities to get offensive rebounds. I thought we came down and took some bad shots, quick shots, which really didn’t put us in a position to rebound the basketball, which hurt us when we had our run to comeback. We were getting the ball inside to [TeJahne Malone] and T.J. was doing a really good job getting it inside out and doing some things inside out and we came down and shot some flyers that hurt us. We started settling for that outside jump shot that we weren’t getting any offensive rebounds. No second chances. You know, that’s where the game turned around. You know, we got tired and I didn’t have anymore timeout left, which didn’t help at all."
What is it about T.J. against this team? She averages just under 10 points a game. This team she just thrives off of playing against them.
"Well T.J. is a tough kid and obviously being a senior, she was going to come today and battle and try to do whatever she took, whatever it took to win the game and I know that she was talking to her teammates all the time, even when we got down, to keep our heads and be focused. I think we played her inside a lot. She’s a really good post player with her back to the basket. We usually play her in the fourth spot a lot, but we put her in there and a lot of good things happen. She was able to get to the rim. Get to the free throw line, and so, um, she’s a talented kid. If I didn’t have to call two timeouts in the third, and maybe if we have an extra timeout, it makes a big difference. A lot we got really tired down the wire."
Were you surprised or taken off-guard with Katie Reese the way she really attacked the basket? Was that some thing you were concerned about going in?
"Well, we didn’t want her to go right. We were supposed to shade her left and we didn’t do a really good job all night defensively with that, with a lot of their players. It’s something that we could have done better, but obviously she really stepped up and put a lot of pressure on us. Kayla [Miller] getting into foul trouble doesn’t help us either. She was a difference maker tonight. Her scoring 20 points tonight and making the baskets she made; I mean that’s the difference in the game. If she doesn’t do that in the first half, we are up by a lot more. It’s a whole different mindset coming into the second half."