February 25, 2011

#1 Lesley will Host #3 Daniel Webster in the 2011 NECC Women's Basketball Championship Game

2010-2011 NECC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals • Tuesday, February 22
#6 Elms (9-16, 7-8) at #3 Daniel Webster (15-10, 9-7), 80-62 DWC
#5 Becker (10-14, 8-8) at #4 Newbury (11-14, 9-7), 73-71 BC
* Game to be played at Hellenic College in Brookline, Mass.

Semifinals • Friday, February 25 (Hosted by Lesley on the campus of Eastern Nazarene in Quincy, Mass.)
#5 Becker (11-14) at #1 Lesley (15-10, 13-3), LU 63-51
#3 Daniel Webster (16-10) vs. #2 Mitchell (14-9, 11-4), DWC 74-48

Championship Game • Saturday, February 26 (Hosted by Lesley on the campus of Eastern Nazarene in Quincy, Mass.)
#3 Daniel Webster (17-10) at #1 Lesley (16-10), 2:00 p.m.

#1 LESLEY 63, #5 BECKER 51

BOX SCORE: http://athletics.lesley.edu/sports/wbkb/2010-11/files/luw26.htm

QUINCY, Mass. – Top seed Lesley University (16-10) advanced to the New England Collegiate Conference Championship for a third straight season with a 63-51 victory over No. 5 seed Becker College (11-15) in Friday night’s NECC Semifinals game.

Reigning NECC Player of the Week Rachael O’Mara (Levittown, NY/General Douglas MacArthur) poured in 30-plus points for her third straight game, finishing with an even 30 on 12-18 shooting. Forward Kaitlyn Wechsler (Merrick, NY/Our Lady Mercy) finished with 20 points and eight rebounds while center Brianne Caira (Pelham, NH/Pelham) notched a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

For Becker, Haley Ooms (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) led the way with 18 points, and game-highs of eight assists and six steals. Tatianna Mojica (Worcester, MA/Doherty) added 13 points in the losing effort.

A Mojica layup gave Becker the early 2-0 lead, which was quickly answered by Caira, who responded with two consecutive layups of her own.

The two teams traded baskets for the first seven minutes featuring two more Mojica layups and Wechsler’s first four points of the game. O’Mara got off to a 4-4 shooting clip after an impressive drop-step move put Lesley ahead 8-6 at the 14:30 mark. Wechsler and O’Mara followed that up with two more layups each and two Wechsler free throws put Lesley up 18-11 with 11:30 to go in the half.

After another layup by Mojica, O’Mara poured in a long jumper and a free throw to give the Lynx their biggest lead of the half by the score of 23-13 with 10 minutes to play. Ooms nearly single handedly got Becker back in the game with three straight layups to pull the Hawks within five at the 6:00 mark.

On the defensive end, Hawks reserve Nicole Morse (Alton, NH/New Hampton) provided a spark off the bench with three blocks, but O’Mara’s 17 points on 7-11 first half shooting put the No. 1 seed Lynx went into halftime up 30-26.

Lesley raced off to quick start in the second with four quick strikes, two by Weschler and one each by Caira and O’Mara resulting in a 38-28 lead at the 15:20 mark. Ooms answered with a three-pointer to pull Becker within 48-43 with just over 6:00 to play, but late layups from Caira and Wechsler iced the 63-51 victory.

A game after tying the Lesley record with nine blocks, Cassidy Freed (Brattleboro, VT/Brattleboro) was the backbone of the defense all night long and finished with 12 rebounds, seven blocks, three steals, and added seven assists.

Lesley improves to 3-0 against Becker and advances to play the winner of No. 3 Daniel Webster and No. 2 Mitchell College in Saturday’s 2 p.m. championship game. The Lynx went 1-1 against both the Eagles and the Mariners this season, handling Daniel Webster 62-49 last Saturday on Senior Night in Cambridge.

The winner of each of the NECC’s prior to league tournament’s the Lynx look to win a third straight, this time with an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament at stake.

#3 DANIEL WEBSTER 74, #2 MITCHELL 48

BOX SCORE:http://www.mitchellathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2010-11/files/mcw24.htm

QUINCY, Mass. – No. 3 seed Daniel Webster College (17-9) advanced to the New England Collegiate Conference Championship with a 72-48 victory over No. 2 seed Mitchell College (14-9) in Friday night’s semifinals game.

Guard Sarah Paternostro (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury) lead all scorers with 17 points and added eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals for the Eagles. Alycia Gervais (Windham, CT/Windham) registered a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds and Vanessa Bosques (N.Windham, CT/Windham) chipped in with 11 points and seven boards for victorious Daniel Webster.

For Mitchell, Alix O’Neil (New London, CT/New London), led the way with 12 points and 6 rebounds while Jordan Ringwood (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) contributed with 8 points of her own.

Paternostro kicked off the scoring with a layup on the game’s first possession and had the Eagles’ first five points. After two free throws from Mitchell’s O’Neil teammate Allison Peck (Colchester, CT/Bacon Academy) registered five points including her first three-pointer of the game, which gave the Mariners a 7-5 lead.

The two teams exchanged six lead changes in the first nine minutes of play before a steal and fast-break lay-in from Gervais resulted in the tenth and final lead change of the game with Daniel Webster pulling ahead 24-22 with 5:54 left in the half. A triple by guard Kacie Lang (Raymond/NH/Raymond) gave the Eagles a 32-24 lead before a jumper by Mitchell’s Jordan Ringwood (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) rounded out the scoring by cutting the margin to 32-26 at intermission.

Paternostro lead all scorers with 11 at the break, and Gervais and Tonisha Tate (Lynn, MA/Lynn Classical) chipped in with seven a piece.

Out of halftime, Mitchell’s O’Neil nailed pair of jumpers to make it a 35-30 game at the 18:20 mark. Layups by Daniel Webster’s Gervais and Regan before a Vanessa Bosques three-pointer put the Eagles up 40-30 at the 16:00 mark, and it only got better for the Eagles from there.

A highlight reel drive to the basket by Paternostro and a Lang basket gave Daniel Webster a 21 point lead with 8:30 remaining and they would never look back, pulling away by the final of 72-48.

Daniel Webster advances to play Lesley, 63-51 winners tonight over Becker, in Saturday’s 2 p.m. championship game. The Eagles split two contests against the Lynx this season.

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