Embrace the Championship: Le Moyne Wins First-Ever NE10 Women's Basketball Title

Embrace the Championship: Le Moyne Wins First-Ever NE10 Women's Basketball Title

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

Dolphins' Hot Shooting Leads Them to NE10 Crown.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Le Moyne women's basketball team won its first Northeast 10 Conference Championship with a 67-45 victory over 12th-ranked Bentley on Sunday afternoon at Ted Grant Court.
 
The Dolphins (24-5) win the conference championship for the first time in their 23 years in the conference. With the championship, the Dolphins receive the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. The 64-team field (eight 8-team regionals) will be announced by the NCAA on Sunday at 10:00 p.m. on NCAA.com. In the latest NCAA East Region rankings, released by the NCAA on Wednesday, March 6, the Dolphins were ranked fourth, while the Falcons were second.

Redshirt sophomore Liz Millea, who was named to the NE10 All-Championship Team, led four Dolphins in double figures with 19 points, including 10 in the first half. Senior guard Madison Purcell, who also earned a spot on the all-championship team, tied her season high with 11 points, eight of which came in the first half, while adding five assists. Junior guard McKayla Roberts, who was named the NE10 Championships Most Outstanding Player, filled the stat sheet with 10 points, a team-best six rebounds, five assists and three steals, while also drawing a game-high seven fouls. Graduate student forward Corinne Poitevien also scored 10 points, while grabbing five rebounds.

Bentley, which scored 85 total points in its two losses to the Dolphins, while averaging 73.34 points in its 29 other games, had two players score in double digits. Monica Viapiano, an all-championship team selection, led the Falcons with 15 points, including 13 in the first half, and eight rebounds off the bench. Amy McConnell tallied nine of her 11 points in the second half. As a team, the Falcons went 1-of-20 from three-point range. The Falcons entered the game leading the East Region in three-point percentage at .381.

ELITE 24 AWARD

Gabriella Badway, Le Moyne - Biology, 3.978 GPA

ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

McKayla Roberts, Le Moyne (Most Outstanding Player)

Liz Millea, Le Moyne

Madison Purcell, Le Moyne

Monica Viapiano, Bentley

Shannon Ryan, Saint Anselm

First Round ­ Friday, March 1st

Game 1:  Merrimack (No. 4 seed NE) 75, Southern Connecticut (No. 5 seed SW) 62 

Game 2:  American International (No. 4 seed SW) 79, Southern New Hampshire (No. 5 seed NE) 55 

Quarterfinals ­ Sunday, March 3rd:

Game 3:  Le Moyne (No. 1 seed SW) 74, Merrimack (No. 4 seed NE) 63

Game 4:  Bentley (No. 1 seed NE) 68, American International (No. 4 seed SW) 55

Game 5:  Saint Anselm (No. 3 seed NE) 85, Adelphi (No. 2 seed SW) 81

Game 6:  New Haven (No. 3 seed SW) 58, Stonehill (No. 2 seed NE) 52 (OT)

Semifinals ­ Thursday, March 7th (at highest remaining seeds):

Game 7:  Le Moyne (No. 1 seed SW) 42, New Haven (No. 3 seed SW) 28 

Game 8:  Bentley (No. 1 seed NE) 74, Saint Anselm (No. 3 seed NE) 59 

Championship ­ Sunday, March 10th (at Le Moyne):

Game 9:  Le Moyne (No. 1 seed SW) 67, Bentley (No. 1 seed NE) 45

-Release provided by Le Moyne athletic communications staff-

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.