Husson Claims 2017 NAC Women's Basketball Title
Husson Claims 2017 NAC Women's Basketball Title
For the Interactive Tournament Bracket - click HERE.
For the Printable (PDF) Tournament Bracket - click HERE.
The No. 1 seeded Husson Eagles captured the 2017 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women's Basketball Title with a 58-55 victory over No. 3 New England College, earning back-to-back titles.
The two NAC finalists found themselves in a defensive struggle from the opening tip. NEC saw Marjani Lillard get called for her second foul early in the first quarter and she would spend the rest of the half on the bench. Even with one of their best players on the bench, Daleia Boutwell and the Pilgrims would hold an 11-10 lead at the end of the quarter.
The volume of shots continued for the Eagles, but they still had trouble finding the bottom of the net. Missed lay-ups by Husson turned into easy points for New England College. Denae Johnson and turnovers troubled a usually sure handed Pilgrims team throughout the half. Even with their offensive issues, Husson clung to a 22-21 advantage.
New England College sprinted out of the locker room and into a 6-0 run to give them a 28-22 lead. Rene Hudson had sprained her ankle early on in the contest and it was noticeable at different times during the game, but her play on offense fueled the Pilgrims in the thrid quarter. Fortunately for Husson, Chandler Guerrette played well for the Eagles, as she scored 13 of their 15 points in the third frame and kept the deficit at a reasonable margin. New England College led the top-seeded team 40-37 at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Eagles put together a 6-0 run of their own to open the last quarter for a 43-40 lead. Hudson tied the game for the Pilgrims at 45-45 with a deep three at 5:20, while Lillard gave her squad the lead at the 3:25 mark with two free throws. The teams traded the lead over the final three minutes, until
Kenzie Worcester hit two free throws at 00:16 to give Husson the lead for good. Time ran out for New England College, as Husson captured back-to-back titles with a final score of 58-55.
Guerrette, the 2017 NAC Player of the Year, scored 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and picked off two passes, while tournament MVP Kenzie Worcester tossed in 11 points, corralled eight rebounds, and dished out four assists and Sami Ireland came off the bench to play solid defense and snag five rebounds for the NAC champions.
Hudson, the 2017 NAC Rookie of the Year, lead the Pilgrims with 18 points and five rebounds, while Utshana Durham scored 11 points, and Breana Ramirez came off the bench to control the boards with 15 rebounds.
2017 NAC All-Tournament Team
MVP – Kenzie Worcester, Husson
Chandler Guerrette, Husson
Darla Morales, Husson
Rene Hudson, New England College
Marisa Kopacz, New England College
Amanda Beatty, Castleton
Emmani Robinson, Colby-Sawyer
Husson will now wait for selection Monday at 2:30 p.m. to see who they will play in the 2017 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.
--Courtesy of Husson Sports Information
Click HERE for the Interactive Tournament Bracket.
Click HERE for the Printable Tournament Bracket.
2017 NAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals • Tuesday, February 21 (at higher seeds)
No. 4 Colby-Sawyer 79, No. 5 Maine Maritime 55 - Boxscore
No. 3 New England College 65, No. 6 Johnson State 63 - Boxscore
Semifinals • Friday, February 24 (at Husson)
No. 1 Husson 87, No. 4 Colby-Sawyer 49 - Boxscore
No. 3 New England College 52, No. 2 Castleton 48 - Boxscore
Championship • Saturday, February 25 (at Husson)
No. 1 Husson 58, No. 3 New England College 55 - Boxscore
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