(03-08-08)
Box Score
FLUSHING, N.Y. -- Alysia Saunders had 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Lauren Hood (photo) scored 15 points and hit the game-winning free throw with just 1.4 seconds left in overtime, as the top-seeded University of New Haven women's basketball team outlasted fourth seed University of Bridgeport, 78-77, in the semifinals of the East Coast Conference Women's Basketball Championships at Queens College's Fitzgerald Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.
UNH (21-8) will face second seed Molloy College (18-12) in the East Coast Conference Championship game beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday at Fitzgerald Gymnasium. Molloy defeated No. 3 C.W. Post, 51-49, in the second semifinal Saturday.
Stephanie Darden led all scorers with 21 points for Bridgeport (17-12), including a contested game-tying 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. Darden, who got 17 of her 21 in the second half and overtime periods, cashed her jumper from the left side foul-line extended with a hand in her face and just 3.9 seconds remaining. After a timeout, with 2.1 seconds left in regulation, the Chargers got the ball in to Hood, but her off-balance three-point shot was offline and short.
Hood got another chance to win the game in overtime, getting the ball in her hands on the final possession after an inbounds from half court. Taking the feed in the high post, Hood dribbled right, put in a contested leaner, and was fouled by Darden. Bridgeport took a time out with 1.4 seconds left to try to ice Hood, but she buried the free throw to put the Chargers ahead 78-77 as the crowd erupted.
UB's long inbounds pass was intercepted at the opposite free throw line by Dominique Stellmacher to end the game.
Darden's 3-pointer wasn't the only huge shot in a contest that was back-and-forth for the final 25 minutes. Briiana Rende, who had just 3 points in the game, got them on an open jumper from the top of the key with 17 seconds left in regulation to put UNH ahead 67-64, just before Darden cashed her overtime-forcing jumper.
Then in overtime, UNH's Lindsay Salt knocked home an open 3-pointer from the top of the key with 28 seconds left, tying the game at 75 all. From there, Darden took the ball the length of the court and got a scoop layup on the right side to go down with 14 seconds on the clock. That put UB ahead 77-75, setting up Hood's dramatic finish.
The hotly-contested game between the local rivals was nearly even across the board. Hood's leaning jumper in overtime gave UNH a slim 44-42 edge in points in the paint, while UB was plus-2 in fast break points. UNH did lead the points off turnovers battle, 23-16, and got 22 second-chance points from 17 offensive rebounds to just 11 second-chance points for UB.
Saunders was dominant down low when UNH got the ball inside. She was 7-for-13 from the field, and six of her 13 rebounds came off the offensive glass. She helped UNH hold a 40-30 advantage on the glass overall. Natasha Pierre-Louis scored 11 points as the third Charger in double figures, while Salt finished with 9 points, 6 rebounds and Stellmacher scored eight.
UB got 12 points from both Sidney Parsons and Shannon Malone, who added 10 rebounds.
UNH held a 41-32 lead at halftime, thanks to 10 points and six rebounds from Saunders. But UB was able to come all the way back and take a 45-43 lead thanks to a 13-2 run over the first 3:40 in the second period. Linda Durmen-Blunt and Darden scored four apiece during the run, which raised the intensity level on both sides and set up the dramatic finish. UNH re-took the lead two possessions later, and would lead until UB took a 64-63 lead on a pair of Darden free throws with 1:04 remaining.
Helin Marte made the second of two free throws on the next possession to tie the game for the 11th time. After a turnover by Parsons, Rende nailed her 3-pointer, followed by Darden's, and the game was headed to OT.
The winner of Sunday's championship game will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Northeast Regional Championships, which begins on Friday, March 14.
