2025 NAC Women's Basketball Championship Preview

2/27/2025 12:22:03 AM

WATERVILLE, Maine – Maine Maritime Academy (23-4, 13-0 NAC) and SUNY Cobleskill (23-4, 11-2 NAC) will face off in the 2025 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women's Basketball Championship at Iorio Gymnasium in Cobleskill, New York, on Saturday at 1:00 PM.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The winner of the 2025 NAC Championship will secure the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA DIII Women's Basketball Tournament, set to begin on Friday, March 7. The complete NCAA Tournament bracket will be unveiled during a live selection show on NCAA.com on Monday, March 3.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Maine Maritime, the #1 seed in the East Division, returns to the NAC Championship for the third straight season—and ninth time since 2005—after defeating #4 Thomas College (69-45) in the quarterfinals and #2 Husson University (88-59) in the East Division Championship last weekend.

SUNY Cobleskill, the top seed in the West Division, advances to its second straight NAC Championship after dominant wins over #4 VTSU-Johnson (92-30) and #3 Lesley University (104-41) in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

FACTS & FIGURES:

Maine Maritime…

Leads the conference in three-pointers made (9.1, 5th in NCAA DIII) and attempted (24.9) per game, three-point percentage (35.0%), assists per game (17.4), field goal percentage (42.9%), defensive field goal percentage (31.5%), defensive rebounds per game (31.1), scoring defense (51.5 PPG), and defensive three-point percentage (24.9%).
Has won 34 straight games against NAC opponents (including tournament contests) and enters the title game riding a seven-game winning streak.
Holds an 8-2 road record this season, with both losses coming against nationally ranked teams (#2 Bowdoin College and #24 UMass Dartmouth).

SUNY Cobleskill…

Leads the NAC in total points (2,072, 4th in NCAA DIII), rebound margin (12.4, 5th), offensive rebounds per game (19.0, 5th), rebounding average (48.15, 6th), blocks per game (5.4, 9th), assist/turnover ratio (1.17), free throws made (14.3) and attempted (20.04) per game, scoring margin (21.2 PPG), scoring offense (76.7 PPG), and fewest turnovers per game (14.7).
Has won 23 straight home games—the fourth-longest active streak in NCAA DIII—with their last home loss coming against Westfield State (68-65) on December 13, 2023.
Two of Cobleskill’s four losses were against nationally ranked programs (#1 New York University and #12 Gettysburg).

IMPACT PLAYERS:

Maine Maritime

#11 Erianna Moore (Fitchburg, Mass.) – 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, two-time First Team All-Conference selection, and two-time NAC Tournament MVP; averaging 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in 24 contests this season.
#33 Sydney Briscoe (Englewood, N.J.) – 2025 First Team All-Conference selection; leads the team in points (320), field goal percentage (.578), free throw percentage (80.4%), rebounding (9.9 RPG, 3rd in NAC), and steals (30).
#3 Evelyn Dagan (Castine, Maine) – Second Team All-NAC honoree; averaging 11.3 PPG while shooting 43.6% (85-195) from three-point distance; ranks fourth nationally in three-pointers made (85, team record), eighth in three-pointers per game (3.15), and ninth in three-point percentage.
#23 Hailey Blanchard (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Averages 7.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.1 APG and is shooting 37.0% (40-108) from three-point distance.

SUNY Cobleskill

#50 Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) – Two-time NAC Player of the Year; averaging 18.9 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game while leading NCAA DIII with 24 double-doubles.
#1 Antonia May (Amsterdam, N.Y.) – First Team All-Conference selection; averaging 14.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
#15 Cara Walker (Phelps, N.Y.) – Second Team All-NAC honoree; averaging 11.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
#14 Taylor Meacham (Berne, N.Y.) – 2025 NAC Women's Basketball Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year and Third Team All-Conference selection; all-around contributor averages 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game with a team-high 51.7% (109-211) from the field.

COACHES' CORNER:

Maine Maritime: Craig Dagan (418-203, .673 – 24th Season)

Dagan, along with his staff, earned the 2025 NAC Coaching Staff of the Year award after leading the Mariners to their fifth straight 20-win season and third consecutive NAC Championship berth. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Maine Maritime has been one of the most successful NCAA DIII women’s basketball programs, posting an impressive 126-37 (.773) record under his leadership. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Dagan reached the 400-win milestone on December 7 with a 67-45 victory over UMaine-Farmington.

SUNY Cobleskill: Megan Bowman (91-42, .684 – Sixth Season)

Since taking over the women's basketball program in 2019, Bowman has led the Fighting Tigers to new heights. She guided the team to its first NEAC Tournament berth since 2012, secured its first NAC Tournament victory in 2023, and last season, led the squad to a 25-2 overall record and the NAC West Division title before falling to Maine Maritime in the 2024 NAC Championship.

NAC POSTSEASON HISTORY:

Maine Maritime…

Has won seven NAC Championships, including two straight conference crowns.
Has qualified for the NAC Tournament every season since 2005, accumulating a 23-20 postseason record.
Appearing in the NAC Championship for the 16th time in 25 seasons as a conference member.

SUNY Cobleskill…

Has reached the NAC Tournament in all four seasons as a conference member, posting a 5-3 postseason record.
Holds a 4-0 record in NAC Tournament games at Iorio Gymnasium, winning by an average margin of 48.25 points.
Making its second straight NAC Championship appearance after falling to Maine Maritime in the 2024 final.

LAST TIME WE MET:

The Mariners and Fighting Tigers last met on January 19, when Maine Maritime outlasted Cobleskill 61-57 in Castine. The highly anticipated showdown featured 10 lead changes and six ties. Trailing 38-26 at halftime, the Mariners staged a dominant fourth-quarter comeback, shooting 9-for-12 from the field and outscoring Cobleskill 23-12.

For the Mariners, Sydney Briscoe notched a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds, while Evelyn Dagan went 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and finished with 11 points. Makenzie Monzon added 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Grace Huntwork came off the bench to contribute nine points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from three-point range.

For the Fighting Tigers, Logan Thayne recorded a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, along with four assists. Cara Walker added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Antonia May contributed 12 points and six rebounds.