MARCY, N.Y. - For the fourth time in five seasons, the Wildcats are the NEAC Women's Basketball Champions. The Wildcats entered the game undefeated in conference play and kept their spotless record with a convincing win in the Championship game. The Wildcat defense was stifling, allowing just 23 points in the first half to the Morrisville State Mustangs. The Wildcats also dominated on the glass and in the paint to earn the win. The final score of the game was 71-58. The Wildcats will now await their seeding in the NCAA Tournament. The DIII Selection Show will take place on Monday, March 2nd at 2:30 PM.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Wildcats jumped out to an early 11-3 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. The inside duo of Jaida Washington (Elmira, N.Y.) and Molly Burdick (Johnson City, N.Y.) exposed the Mustangs. The duo accounted for 16 of the Wildcats 21 points in the first and 10 of their 27 in the second. The Wildcats scored 40 of their 71 points in the paint, whereas the Mustangs scored just six points inside. The Mustangs scored the lions share of their points from three-point range. They hit 16-44 three-pointers, shooting it at a 36.4% clip. SUNY Poly also dominated on the glass, pulling down 54 rebounds to the Mustangs 29. The rebounding advantage led to 25 second-chance points for the Wildcats.

TOURNAMENT MVP:

Jaida Washington had a huge championship game for the Wildcats. The NEAC All-Conference First team selection had a 22 point, 17 rebound double-double. She led the game in both categories. Washington was also a defensive menace, blocking three shots in the win. The performance earned her the 2020 NEAC Women's Basketball Tournament MVP Award.

NOTES:

• The Wildcats had five players score nine or more points in the game. They shot 43.8 percent from the floor in the game as a team.
• Molly Burdick was just a point shy of a double-double. She scored nine points, had 13 rebounds, and dished out six assists.
• Taylor Aybar (Woodside, N.Y.) had 11 points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals for the 'Cats.
• Taylor Ann Day (Brooktondale, N.Y.) scored 12 points in 26 minutes off the bench for the Wildcats. She shot 50% from the floor, 50% from three-point range, and hit five of six from the charity stripe. She also had seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
• Kiersten Leos (North Bay, N.Y.) scored 10 points in the win. The senior knocked down a trio of three-pointers, had five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block.
• Brooke Hammersley and Tori Rockafeller each had 18 points for the Mustangs. Hammersley hit six of seven from three-point range and had three rebounds in 24 minutes of play. Rockafeller had a team-high seven rebounds, a team-high six assists, and two steals.
• Taylor Colone-Microni had 11 points in the game. She also had two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will wait to hear their matchup in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Selection Show for the DIII Tournament is scheduled to be broadcast on Monday, March 2nd at 2:00 PM. The broadcast can be watched HERE.

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York's globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world's most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and over 300 corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.