CASTINE, Maine - The SUNY Poly women's basketball team's season came to an end on Saturday in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship Game. The Maine Maritime Mariners won the game 71-55 to claim the 2022-23 NAC Championship Trophy. The Wildcats wrap up their season with a 15-13 record.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Neither team shot particularly well in the first quarter with SUNY Poly shooting only 36.4 and Maine Maritime shooting 35.3%. Maine Maritime built an early lead thanks to nine points on three 3-pointers by Evelyn Moore. They led by 10 at the break.
The Wildcats played better in the second half led by eight points by Lyrik Jackson. Ashley Reid added six points to the mix with a pair of 3-pointers to help the Wildcats score 17 in the quarter. The Mariners continued to shoot a high percentage from 3-point range. They hit five of seven threes (71.4%) and scored 20 points to grow their lead to 13 at the half.
The Wildcats were finally able to cut into the Mariner's lead in the third, but not by much. The Mariners started the quarter by building their lead to a game-high 17. The Wildcats went on a 16-5 run to cut the lead to 10 points at the end of the quarter. Jackson scored 10 points during the run and Burdick scored six.
The fourth quarter was all Maine Maritime, as they outscored SUNY Poly 23-16. Maria Barela scored seven of her 15 points in the quarter. The Wildcats shot just 14% from the field and were held to single-digit points.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Lyrik Jackson had an impressive game with 28 points, shooting 7-16 from the field, 2-4 from 3-point range, and a near-perfect 12-13 from the free-throw line.
- Molly Burdick had a strong game, contributing 14 points and 9 rebounds. She wraps up her career as the Wildcat's all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 1,924 points and 1,103 rebounds.
- Ashley Reid scored a career-high 12 points in the game with a career-high four 3-pointers.
- Erianna Moore led the way for Maine Maritime with 18 points, shooting 6-13 from the field and an impressive 6-8 from 3-point range.
- Maria Barela also had a good game with 15 points, shooting 5-14 from the field and 3-9 from beyond the arc for the Mariners.
- Evelyn Dagan was a key contributor off the bench for Maritime, scoring 15 points and shooting a perfect 5-5 from 3-point range.
The Championship win for the Mariners gives them the NAC's AQ bid to the NCAA DIII Championship Tournament. It is their first NAC Championship win.
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SUNY Poly is New York's globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience programs at its Albany campus, 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, game design, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica campus; 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 hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.