Kyra Dayon carried the load for FDU-Florham which is the first Freedom Conference team to play for a women's basketball national championship. Photo by Steve Frommell, D3photography.com

FDU-Florham was held to its lowest offensive output of the season, but scratched together enough scoring to beat Tufts, 42-39 and advance to the national championship.

The Devils improved to 32-0 and will play the winner of Whitman and UW-Whitewater at 7 pm CT tomorrow.

In a game where both teams struggled to score, FDU-Florham put together the only run of the game, scoring on four consecutive possessions to build a 35-28 lead.

Tufts rallied back within two points and had four chances to tie or take the lead, but came away empty each time. After the last miss, Shalette Brown made a short jump shot for FDU-Florham to extend its lead to four. 

Tufts’ Michaela North made one of two free throws to trim the Devils’ lead to 42-39, but the Jumbos did not score again. FDU-Florham had two chances to extend the lead from the free throw line and missed both shots. Tufts had one more chance to tie the game when Emma Roberson stole the FDU-Florham inbounds pass with 14 seconds left. After a timeout, the Jumbos could not get an open look and Hannah Foley missed an off balance desperation shot as time expired.

The Devils held the Tufts offense to just one point and no field goals in the final seven minutes. Tufts, which averaged 12 turnovers per game coming into the weekend, reached that figure midway through the second half and finished 19.

FDU-Florham was held 38 points below its 81-point season scoring average.

Kyra Dayon led FDU-Florham with 17 points and Shalette Brown grabbed 18 rebounds. Michela North scored 13 points for Tufts, which will play in the third place game tomorrow at 4 pm CT.