|
| UW-Whitewater is headed back
to Wisconsin with a ticket to the Final Four hosted by Stevens
Point. Photo by Eric Kelley, D3photography.com |
Tufts survived a late rally from Ithaca while UW-Whitewater avenged its loss to DePauw in last year's national championship by ousting the Tigers on their own floor.
Tufts built held an eight point lead over Ithaca with 1:16 to play, but shot three for eight from the free throw line and left the door open for a Bombers' rally. Ithaca hit three bombs, including one off balance three from deep behind the arc by Mary Kate Tierney with eight seconds left. But after Tufts' Liz Moynihan split her free throws, Ithaca's potentialy game-tying layup rattled out and the Jumbos celebrated their 61-59 victory. Halley Kanner notched 18 points and seven rebounds in 38 minutes for Tufts. Recap
| Kyra Dayon will take a piece
of the net home this weekend and a plane trip west next
weekend. Photo by Jeff Levy, D3photography.com |
FDU-Florham shut down Montclair State and turned an eight-point second half deficit into a 20-point route, 73-53. After Nicosia Henry hit a three-pointer to put the Redhawks up 33-25, the Devils held them without a field goal for the next 10 minutes. Meanwhile Kyra Dayon slashed to the basket for 22 points and Shalette Brown rolled up 17 points and 17 rebounds to knock her former teammates out of the tournament.
UW-Whitewater hit a three-pointer off the opening tip and added six more on its way to a convincing 88-71 win over defending national champions DePauw. The Warhawks blew the game open with a 12-0 run early in the second half. UW-Whitewater shot 49 percent from the floor and 92 percent from the free throw line. Kristen Ruchti scored 24 points to lead the Warhawks and Mary Merg added 21, including 10 for 11 from the free throw line. Recap
Whitman ended Thomas More's undefeated season 76-60 after the Saints lost star player Sydney Moss to injury. She scored six points in 12 minutes before getting hurt and missing the second half. The Missionaries took advantage of her absence, holding Thomas More without a field goal for the first six minutes of the second half. Whitman forward Sarah Anderegg scored 18 points after halftime.
FDU-Florham and Tufts will make their first trips to the national semifinals. The Devils are the first team from the Freedom Conference to make the Final Four since Scranton left for the Landmark Conference in 2008. The Jumbos are the fourth different program from the NESCAC to make the Final Four, joining Amherst, Bowdoin and Williams.
UW-Whitewater will make its third trip to the Final Four and second straight. The Warhawks will battle Whitman, which makes its first trip to the national semifinals and becomes the first NWC team besides George Fox to do so.