KEUKA PARK, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly women's basketball team advanced to the NEAC Championship Game for the fourth consecutive season with a 60-47 win over Penn State Abington.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Wildcats and the Nittany Lions played a tight first half, heading to the locker rooms with just two points separating the two teams. The Wildcats turned the tides, opening the second half with a 12-2 run to take a commanding lead with 13 minutes left on the clock. The Wildcats run was fueled by the three ball as Kiersten Leos (Camden, N.Y.) drained a pair from behind the arc, and Rylie Smith (St. Johnsville, N.Y.) tacked on one of her own in transition during the five minute run. The 'Cats would close out the game shooting 45% from the field and 66.7% from three point land in the fourth quarter, their best numbers in any quarter of the game.

NOTABLES:  

• Kiersten Leos led the Wildcats with 20 points scored. The junior had a triple double with 10 rebounds, hit three 3-pointers, and had an assist, a steal, and a block in 38 minutes played.
• Jaida Washington (Elmira, N.Y.) had a monster day in the paint. The junior had a game high seven blocks (also a career high), 10 rebounds, and eight points. Six of her eight points came from in the paint.
• Molly Burdick (Vestal, N.Y.) scored 10 in her NEAC Final Four debut. The NEAC Rookie of the Year also had four rebounds for the 'Cats.
• Rylie Smith rounded out the notable scoring performances for the Wildcats. The senior dropped eight, nailing a pair of three pointers and knocking down two of two from the charity stripe.
• Abington's Wynter Bess led her team with 20 points on 7-13 shooting from the field. She also had three rebounds.
• Sydney Barrow scored 15 in the game for the Nittany Lions. She also had six rebounds and a pair of assists.
• Angie Tabares had a team high 10 rebounds for Abington.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will play #3 Gallaudet in the NEAC Championship on Sunday. The game is scheduled for a 2:00 PM tip-off at Keuka College. The Bison of Gallaudet University carved their path to the championship game with a win in hostile territory over host Keuka College 60-54. The #1 Wildcats and the #3 Bison have met one time this season. The Wildcats won that game 80-74 on the road.

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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.