FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2013
Jackson lifts Adelphi to overtime win, Merrimack
finishes off comeback to upset Pace in extra session
A pair of thrilling overtime contests kicked off the 2013 Northeast-10 Conference Women's Basketball Championship on Friday night, as eighth-seeded Adelphi University held off ninth-seeded American International College, 80-77, and 10th-seeded Merrimack College overcame a 15-point halftime deficit on the road to clip seventh-seeded Pace University, 75-70.
Both teams advance to Sunday's Northeast-10 Championship Quarterfinals, as Adelphi will travel to top-seeded Bentley University, while Merrimack will take on second-seeded Stonehill College on the road. Both games will tip off at 3:00 p.m.
Other quarterfinal action pairs third-seeded Assumption College hosting sixth-seeded University of New Haven (2:00 p.m.) and fifth-seeded Franklin Pierce University traveling to fourth-seeded University of Massachusetts Lowell (3:00 p.m.).
#8 Adelphi 80, #8 American Int'l 77 (OT) – BOX
Adelphi (15-12) overcame a five-point deficit with 1:31 remaining in the second half, as a Sade Jackson (pictured) layup with four seconds to play forced overtime. In the extra session, American Int'l freshman Sydney Tepley, who finished with a game-high 27 points and 14 rebounds, hit a jumper with 1:48 remaining for a 77-76 lead, but Adelphi's Lauren Nuss knocked down the game-winning three-pointer one minute later to seal the victory for the Panthers.
Jackson, who triple-doubled three times in the regular season, filled it up for Adelphi with a team-high 21 points, six boards, four assists, six steals and three blocks. Jessica Kitrys had 17 points and seven rebounds in the win, while Jenna Halaby contributed 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting and seven boards off the bench.
For American Int'l (14-12), Briana Bishop added 17 points off the bench, while Sarah Noble had 13 points, four rebounds and five assists. Erica Johnson added 12 points and five helpers.
#10 Merrimack 75, #7 Pace 70 (OT) – BOX
Merrimack (16-11), which held Pace to 21.7 percent shooting (5-23) in the second half, outscored the Setters 14-2 over the final 3:21 of regulation to force overtime, capped by a Chloe Rothman jumper with six seconds left to tie it. The Warriors had been down 43-28 at the half.
Pace grad student Brittany Shields finished with 21 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, including three points and three rebounds in the extra period. She gave the Setters a three-point lead following a made free throw with 1:20 to play in overtime, but Merrimack went on to score the final eight points to nail down the win.
Merrimack's Tia Scott had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the victory, while Rothman finished with 13 points, five boards and four assists.
For Pace (14-13), Margo Hackett had a game-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting in the loss.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that are committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes. Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
- #NE10 -
