HENNIKER, N.H. – Third-seeded Mitchell College upset top-seeded New England College by an 85-74 final on Saturday afternoon to win the 2022 New England Collegiate Conference Championship at Bridges Gymnasium.
Le'Sandra Turner paved the way to victory with a season- and game-high 24 points and stuffed the stat sheet with 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals. Dede Stevenson contributed 20 points and a team-high eight assists, and Sam McKenna chipped in a season-high 17 points that included five three-pointers. Amina Wiley, who battled foul trouble throughout, rounded out the Mariners in double digits with 13 points.
The Mariners (12-13 overall) claimed the league title for the first time in school history. Mitchell has also earned the conference's automatic bid for the NCAA Championship. The entire Division III women's field will be announced via NCAA.com on Monday, February 28 at 2:30 p.m.
Wiley was named tournament MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Turner. The two seniors have been the backbone of the Mitchell program for the past four years.
Both teams came out ready for an opening quarter that featured three ties and five lead changes. Mitchell took control with an 8-0 run to close the period, with a three by McKenna jumpstarting the stretch that included a layup by Turner and free throw by Stevenson. The Mariners took a 23-16 advantage into the second quarter and never trailed again in the contest.
Mitchell scored the first 11 points of the second period to extend the run to 19-0. The Pilgrims went nearly six minutes of game time without a point, allowing the Mariners to build a 34-16 cushion. Wiley scored six points during the spurt while Turner contributed four.
NEC made up some ground over the final five minutes of the half and trailed 41-28 at the break. Wiley had 12 points at intermission while Ericka Pratt paced the Pilgrims with 11.
McKenna hit a pair of three-pointers in the third quarter to help keep the Pilgrims at bay. The Mariners played with a double-digit lead until a three by Nya McLean pulled the hosts to within 56-47 in the closing seconds of the quarter.
The Mariners saw their margin shrink to as little as six in the early stages of the fourth, but a three-point play by Turner helped right the ship. She shot 5-for-5 from the floor and notched 14 points in the final period alone, guiding the Mariners to victory.
Mitchell played the final 5:42 without Wiley, who fouled out of the game with her team leading by 10. Turner and Stevenson picked up the slack in her absence, combining to score 16 of the Mariners' final 18 points. Turner punctuated the win with a steal and an uncontested layup in the final seconds as the Mitchell sideline erupted into celebration.
Pratt led NEC (18-8 overall) with 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. Kayla Goldring chipped in 18 points and seven boards while Brianna Pierreval and Alissia Corono added nine points apiece.
NECC All-Tournament Team
Alexandra Kerley - Lesley"
Alondra Jimenez - Eastern Nazarene
Ericka Pratt - New England College
Kayla Goldring - New England College
Le'Sandra Turner - Mitchell
MVP: Amina Wiley - Mitchell