Men's Basketball

by: Christopher Granozio

Let’s start with an obvious fact right up top: the University of Bridgeport is the only East Coast Conference team with a resume worthy of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, which begins with four regional games in New England a week from Saturday. Ranked fourth in the region, the Purple Knights have posted sensational wins at East powers Southern Connecticut and American International to highlight the strongest non-league schedule in the conference, making them a sure bet to merit an invite should they come up short in the league tournament. Five other teams – all from New York State, as it turns out, are vying to crash the NCAA party, and each has a legitimate shot. For those schools, it’s one-and-done. Do or die. Survive and advance.

Welcome to March Madness, where the stakes are at their highest and the pressure becomes palpable, with each possession carrying with it a heightened level of significance.

BOULEVARD OF DREAMS
The tournament kicks off with a pair of first-round games on Wednesday. And as fate would have it, the two host schools are next-door neighbors, meaning traffic along Northern Boulevard will be especially lively that evening. Add to that, all four participating teams are located within 35 miles of each other and represent the conference’s entire Long Island subdivision, guaranteeing intense atmospheres within the cozy confines of NYIT’s Recreation Hall and the polar-opposite spacious setting of LIU Post’s Pratt Center.

Though three of the Long Island fraternity finished the regular season with identical 11-9 conference records, New York Institute of Technology gained the three seed due to its win over second-seeded Bridgeport and thus hosts sixth-seeded Dowling. NYIT got out of the gate late this season, dropping its first four ECC contests. That was not unexpected as the team’s top player – senior guard Darian Hooker – was unavailable due to injury. Add to that the fact that the Bears were coming to grips with the fact that talented 6-5 freshman guard Kayvon Williams would not return as a result of a season-ending ailment of his own. The outlook wasn’t a rosy one, to be sure. But credit veteran head coach Sal Lagano for successfully steering the ship through turbulent waters. Hooker returned on January 10 vs. Mercy, and the dazzling Division I transfer from Campbell University simply galvanized the program, leading it to a 9-3 league mark from that point on, including wins against three first-place teams over a 19-day span. The charismatic sharpshooter and team leader became the focal point and thrived in the role, culminating in a sensational, buzzer-beating 3-pointer that snapped Daemen’s 44-game home-court winning streak. Hooker easily leads the nation in scoring at 28.3 points per game, but also impressively paces the conference in 3-pointers (80), free throws (178) and assists per game (4.9). It’s that last figure that makes Hooker especially dangerous as he clearly makes his teammates better. That supporting cast includes freshman forward Jon Feiler, who has averaged a double-double of 11.4 points and 10.5 rebounds a game (the latter number ranking 10th in all of Division 2), and junior guard Khalif Chaplin, one of the circuit’s most underrated players who has unassumingly shot a sizzling 64% from beyond the arc over his last 10 games.

Dowling also lost its star guard for a spell this season as preseason ECC Co-Player of the Year Darien Davis (yes, he even has a similarly homophonic name) sat out eight games with an injury, forcing first-year head coach John Mateyko to slow down his fast-paced offense and start a bigger lineup. Sophomore Michael Guzzardi teamed up with post threat and fellow 6-8 tower Evan Maxwell (13.5 ppg), affording the Golden Lions the tallest front line in the league. Dowling – which swept the season series from NYIT, including an 86-85 heart-stopper a month ago in Old Westbury (Hooker uncharacteristically missed two last-second free throws) – showcases five players in double figures, including Maxwell, whose 9.2 rebounding average tops the team. Despite his ailments, Davis still generates 21.9 points a game, while speedy playmaker Tristan Brown averages 4.3 assists along with 10.1 points and league-best 2.0 steals. Donte Adams and Ryan Hickey are the top long-range threats with 100 triples between them, though Dowling’s 3-point shooting numbers overall have been surprisingly poor (under 29%). With a guard-heavy attack, the Golden Lions are always a threat to drive on offense and dive on defense, as evidenced by their ECC-best 8.4 steals per game average.

DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME…
Whenever teams meet in a 4-5 game, they are usually pretty evenly matched. And in the case of LIU Post and Molloy this winter, that is an unqualified understatement. In both of their regular-season meetings, the game was tied with 17 seconds left before the visiting team prevailed. On January 14 in Brookville, sophomore guard Jaylen Morris’ driving lay-up with two-tenths of a second on the clock lifted Molloy, while one month later in Rockville Centre, Tyuan Williams’ inside hoop saved the day, earning the season split. It’s hard to make a case for either team running away with Wednesday’s rubber match as both clubs posted identical overall (16-12) and conference (11-9) records to go along with the two barnburners (LIU Post earned the right to host thanks to a win over first-place St. Thomas Aquinas). For Erik Smiles’ Pioneers, Williams has been a stalwart in the frontcourt, averaging 14.5 points and 7.9 rebounds, both of which lead the club. P.J. Torres – a DI transfer from Duquesne now in his second year with the program – has recently returned to the starting lineup and has been playing his best ball of the season. A crafty penetrator, Torres is a capable scorer, but his team thrives when he shares the ball, as he may be the most gifted passer in the league. Greg Dotson also averages double figures in scoring (11.2 ppg) and is a defensive presence with a team-best 40 blocks in limited minutes. If LIU Post is to make a deep run this March, it must cut down on mistakes as the Pioneers’ 14.7 turnovers a game were the second-most in the league, and most among the playoff participants. On the plus side, they led the league in defense (38.8 field-goal percentage and 69.4 points per game) and rebounding differential (+6.4).

As usual, Molloy gains its strength from its guards, four of whom average in double figures. Point guard Brandon Williams is the little engine that makes the Lions click, as he paces the club with 4.4 assists per game while sharing the scoring leadership with Morris at 14.2 ppg. Matt McLeod is right behind that twosome with a 14.0 scoring average and, as a senior, he is the most experienced guard on the roster… a distinction that cannot be undervalued in a win-or-go-home scenario. Charlie Marquardt’s son, Charles, is the team’s most dangerous long-distance threat with 74 threes in the bank, the most in the league by anyone not named Hooker. If he is left unguarded on the perimeter, the sophomore will make the defense pay. Molloy’s forwards are more mobile than in recent years and can be surprise impact players in this game. The Lions turn the ball over the least in the league (10.9 per game) and also pace the conference in free-throw shooting as they knock down nearly 78% of their attempts – the third-highest average in the nation.

Unlike the NYIT-Dowling match-up, no one player in this encounter averages more than 14 points a game, adding a layer of intrigue if the contest hangs in the balance down the stretch. It’s hard to expect anything less. As long as LIU Post keeps winning, it will continue to play on its home floor the entirety of the tournament thanks to the conference’s pre-determined site.

BYE-BYE
The winners of Wednesday’s games will square off against the top two seeds – St. Thomas Aquinas and Bridgeport – in the semifinals, which will be played at LIU post on Saturday and Sunday, with the champion earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The surprising top seed is St. Thomas Aquinas, which finished tied with Bridgeport atop the standings with a 17-3 conference record but won the tiebreaker by virtue of its season sweep of third-place Daemen. What a season it has been for second-year head coach Tobin Anderson, who has assembled a roster consisting primarily of freshmen and sophomores and guided them to the first-ever 20-win campaign and first regular-season title in the program’s NCAA history. Sophomore guard Chaz Watler is the Spartans’ leader at 14.7 points a game, but the fact that only one of his current teammates is averaging double figures (rookie guard Justin Reyes at 11.1 ppg) speaks to the depth and balance of the ballclub. No fewer than 11 players have started a game for STAC, while nine are averaging at least 4.4 points a game and eight have racked up at least 20 assists. St. Thomas Aquinas – which pressures its opponents for 90 feet on virtually every possession – has won 14 of its last 15 league encounters, and the fact that 10 players average at least 10 minutes a game has certainly helped keep the troops fresh down the stretch. With a stunning run to the tournament final last year and a first-round bye this time around, the unflappable Spartans are clearly ahead of schedule. But don’t tell them that.

The team that stopped Cinderella STAC in last year’s tourney title game – Bridgeport – also finds itself two wins away from the national tournament as regular-season co-champs. Playing in March is an almost annual accomplishment for Mike Ruane, who is virtually certain to compete in the NCAAs for a 10th time in his 15 years at the helm. Once again, he has had to reinvent his team on the fly as returning senior shooting guard Antoine Brown was lost during the preseason and highly-skilled big man Willie Williams (13.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg) was slow to recover from a chronic foot injury. The Purple Knights didn’t panic, however, and useful backups from last year’s club – forward Eddie Asamoah and point guard Naqwan Crowell – have thrived in their expanded roles this time around. Ernest Rouse and Devon Elliott comprise the conference’s deadliest outside tandem (142-of-322 for 44%), with formidable sixth-man Jesse Jones channeling Vinnie Johnson’s microwave talents, as evidenced by his 30-point explosion in just 16 minutes during the season-ending win at Queens as the transfer from Passaic (NJ) Community College nailed a staggering nine 3-pointers in 12 attempts. They may be second in the seeding, but the defending champs boast the most potent offense in the league (80.8 points per game, 42% shooting from 3) and possess the pedigree and talent up and down the roster to warrant favorite status moving forward.

BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE
There is a seventh ECC team playing postseason ball this March, though not on Long Island with the other six. The Daemen Wildcats, wrapping up their final NCAA provisional year, will serve as the #1 seed in the United States Collegiate Athletics Association Tournament in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Mike MacDonald’s banged-up Cats will open up with Indiana-South Bend Wednesday afternoon in the quarterfinals, seeking a second straight trip to the championship game. Preseason Co-Player of the Year Gerald Beverly will see his brilliant career come to an end in the tourney as the powerful big man finished second in the ECC in scoring (20.1) and first in rebounding (11.9), shooting (59.6%) and blocked shots (3.6) – a number that would lead the nation if the team qualified for NCAA statistics. Junior slasher Torrence Dyck – the league’s #3 scorer at 19.3 points per game – has missed the last five due to injury, and senior forward Aaron Davis has sat out the last seven, but Daemen is still capable of faring extremely well among this field, with point guard Supreme Hannah (10.2 ppg, team-best 3.7 apg) and 3-point threat Jordan Greene (69 treys and .385 percentage) flanking the beast known as Beverly. We wish them the very best as they represent the East Coast Conference for the last time as outliers.

Women's Basketball

by: Stephen Zerdelian

After a competitive and exciting regular season, the East Coast Conference playoffs are upon us. Last year LIU Post claimed the regular season crown but was topped by the University of the District of Columbia for the post season title, the first time in three years that the same team didn’t sweep both (Dowling turned the trick in 2012 and 2013). This time around, given how close and hard-fought the season has been, it’d be difficult to imagine one team doing the double - but you never know. Also on the horizon is the NCAA Division II tournament, to which the ECC playoff winner gets an automatic berth.

All discussions must begin with the regular season champion, the University of the District of Columbia. The Firebirds claimed the playoff honors last March and have been on a great run pretty much all season. This is a seasoned, veteran team with plenty of firepower which will be hard to handle come tourney time. Below the Firebirds in the standings are five teams that can easily be considered legitimate title contenders. Some years that is not the case but this winter dismissing any of the playoff qualifiers is dangerous and foolhardy.

Roberts Wesleyan has to be one of the dominant stories in the ECC in 2014-’15. Finally eligible for ECC and NCAA tournament play, the Redhawks have been terrific this year and pose a serious threat to the rest of the loop. Queens has more than their share of potent weapons and enters the fray with their best chance of winning the crown since they did the regular season-playoff double in 2009. It is never a good idea to think LIU Post cannot win the title; the Pioneers have depth and the experience necessary to snare the playoff crown for the first time since 2011. Keep in mind that LIU Post reached the ECC final as well as the NCAA East Regional final last year (only losing at eventual national champion Bentley), so their pedigree in this area is strong. NYIT has had their moments this season and despite a slight downturn in form the last few weeks, they are nobody’s idea of a soft touch. Even #6 seed St. Thomas Aquinas has proven they can win on the road, so they have the proverbial punchers chance.  

Incidentally, let’s give the coaches some credit for seeing into the future back in the pre-season. Their ECC poll nailed five of the six playoff teams, minus a little seeding adjustment. They had UDC winning the loop, with LIU Post, Queens and NYIT next. Roberts Wesleyan was tabbed as #5 and the final playoff spot, according to the coach’s poll, would be between Molloy (#6) and St. Thomas Aquinas (#7), which is pretty close to spot on. That’s rather prescient, don’t you think?

The ECC garnered two berths in the NCAA East Regional tournament field last winter and should get at least that many this March. UDC is a virtual lock for an at-large bid even if they fall short in the ECC tourney, as they sit comfortably in the upper half of the NCAA East regional poll. Queens, Roberts Wesleyan, LIU Post and NYIT can all be considered on the bubble, although the Knights look to have a slight edge on the rest. Obviously they’d all like to win the tournament and get the automatic bid but if not, winning a game or two in the ECC playoffs would help their case. St. Thomas Aquinas needs to win out to extend their season to the NCAA’s. It all adds yet another layer of intrigue to the proceedings, that’s for sure.

The two ECC first round playoff games (#6 STAC at #3 Roberts Wesleyan and #5 LIU Post at #4 NYIT) will be hosted by the higher seed but after that, the scene shifts to the Pratt Center in Brookville, where LIU Post is the neutral site for the semifinals and the title clash. Well, if the Pioneers get there, it won’t be all that neutral but officially, that’s what it is. Certainly it’s added motivation for the Pioneers to win their opener and have the chance to play their semifinal game at home, so we’ll have to see how that plays out. Let’s take a thumbnail look at all six clubs, in order of seeding, and see where they stand as the post season tips off…

On paper, the University of the District of Columbia has to be considered the favorite. Lester Butler’s Firebirds (25-3) are loaded with veteran players, possess plenty of options at either end of the floor and have picked up some very good wins this year. UDC boasts four double digit scorers, led by the extraordinarily versatile Denikka Brent (16.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg). She is augmented by perimeter players Telisha Turner (12.7 ppg), Taj Baldwin-Kollore (11.3 ppg), Shakena Williams (7.9 ppg) and Shantrel Oliver (6.6 ppg), a collection of weapons that can detonate at any time. (Bria White, who tossed in 14ppg, only played eight games this season). Butler’s rotation consists almost entirely of upper class players with frontcourt options Tatyana Calhoun (7.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Iman Scott (4.9 ppg) pivotal to the cause. Among UDC’s many strengths is shooting, as they lead the ECC field goal percentage (42.8%) and three-point percentage (35.7%). They are also tops in scoring at 76.3 ppg, so you know they can fill it up. UDC has actually been better on their travels (13-1 in road games; 1-0 in neutral site contests) than at home (11-2), proving that venue isn’t an issue, normally the sign of a seasoned team. It’ll take some work to knock the Firebirds, on a 14-game win streak as they enter the post season, off in the playoffs and deny them back-to-back crowns, that’s for sure.
Playoff key: Shooting, the same it always seems to be with UDC. Their two worst shooting games of the season came against Bloomfield (30.2%, a 72-57 setback on November 22; and 32% in a 73-65 loss to NYIT on December 10) but they have been remarkable consistent this year. With a variety of offensive threats, quelling the UDC attack will not be easy.   
Player to watch (that you might not expect): Tatyana Calhoun. A somewhat unheralded player, the 5-11 junior provides the Firebirds rebounding and grit in the paint. While her numbers won’t wow anyone, Calhoun will be tasked with battling opposing post players, a hidden yet critical role. As long as Calhoun can hold her ground inside for a Firebird team which does get out-rebounded over the course of the season (8th in the ECC in rebound margin), they’ll be able to flourish.

Queens has continued to take steps forward as the seasons go along, going from non-factors to playoff aspirants to legitimate contenders in the span of just a few years. Bet Naumovski’s Knights (20-7) have enjoyed some very good moments this year (such as an 11-1 stretch during which they hung losses on UDC, LIU Post and Roberts Wesleyan) and have also endured a few not-so-great times (such as a loss at Mercy without Madison Rowland), steeling them for the playoffs. The Rowland sisters, Madison (20.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 4.2 apg) and MacKenzie (12.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.3 bpg) are the eye-catching players on the roster, with reason. Madison Rowland has racked up yet another astoundingly active stat line, including leading the country in steals for the second straight year (4.5 spg, to date). QC can also count on the likes of Kristen Korzevinski (10.2 ppg) and Imani Davidson (7.7ppg) to give them support. No doubt the Knights have their short-comings (the aforementioned quartet account for nearly 80% of the points and they are the worst team in the loop in three-point accuracy and production, as well as second-worst in free throws attempted) that foes will try to exploit. Aside of those areas, Queens does not have an obvious weakness – and with the Rowland sisters around, they have game-changing forces to call upon.
Playoff key: Consistency. This is a team that can rise to impressive heights or crash to unexpected lows at any time. To win the ECC title, they’ll need a pair of strong performances in succession. The 11-1 run mentioned above saw QC shoot at least 42% in ten of the wins, the sort of stability they require. In contrast, the Knights have shot in the 30% range or less nine times and have committed 19 or more turnovers fourteen times, numbers that make it difficult to win in March.
Player to watch (that you might not expect): Elisabeth Gully. The junior pivot came back to the lineup (aside of two early season games, playing 3 total minutes) in mid-January and since then the Knights are 10-3. Gully won’t put up huge numbers but she gives them critical minutes in the paint (over 21 mpg) and is a capable defender and rebounder. Having somebody inside to take the strain of MacKenzie Rowland and help open the lane for the perimeter players is a huge boost for Naumovski, making Gully an underrated yet important piece for a Knight team with title aspirations.

When Roberts Wesleyan entered the ECC a few years ago, savvy observers knew that at some point they’d make a real impact on the league. Few figured it would be so pronounced in their first season as an eligible post season entity but that’s the reality of the situation. Bob Segave’s Redhawks (20-6) employed a strong inside game during the last few years but the difference now is their fresh crop of perimeter players, who have turned RWC into a well-rounded and potent unit. Senior Marissa Sell (15 ppg, 12.4 rpg) and junior Samantha Courtney (11.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg) have functioned as one of the top interior combos the ECC has had the last few years. Making the Redhawks a more dangerous team, though, have been the influx of freshmen in the backcourt, Lucy Covley (13.3 ppg), Brooke Fields (9 ppg) and Necedah James (8.5 rpg). Suddenly, Roberts Wesleyan has weapons everywhere you look. A trip to last year’s NCCAA Division I national title game lent valuable post season experience to the veterans and helps mitigate a rather soft non-league slate this term. The Redhawks are a draw few will relish.
Playoff key: Use the ball smartly. RWC has a number of pertinent strengths, such as rebound margin (+6.3, the best in the ECC), and when they shoot in volume, it works (18-3 when they make at least five three-pointers in a game; 9-2 when they take 20+ free throws in a contest). But their ultimate measuring stick is ball movement, which is where a composed crop of rookie guards helps. The Redhawks are 10-0 when they record more assists than turnovers, a situation that engenders spreading the ball around and in turn, fueling the long-range game and foul line trips.
Player to watch (that you might not expect): Lucy Covley. Ok, tabbing the #2 scorer as someone you ‘might not expect’ is a bit of a stretch but the freshman’s three-point scoring is critical to the team’s success. RWC is #2 ECC in treys made and three-point percentage (6.7 3FG per game; 34%) and Covley is a prime reason. She has been remarkably consistent (at least three treys in all but three games she has played; 66 on the season, leading the ECC), helping open the lane for the likes of Sell and Courtney, and will have to do the same into the playoffs if the Redhawks are to thrive.

NYIT has had something of a schizophrenic season. The Bears (18-10) began the campaign with a 12-2 record, the losses coming on the road to NE-10 teams Adelphi and AIC. Since then NYIT has gone just 6-8, including a three-game losing skid. In the process Anthony Crocitto’s team went from having a very good chance to secure at least an at-large NCAA tournament berth to being firmly on (or just outside) the proverbial bubble. NYIT still possesses many strengths, including scoring (75.6 ppg, #2 in the ECC) and the ability to get to the foul line (tops in the loop in makes, attempts and percentage, the latter at 73.3%), making them a powerful #4 seed. Dina Ragab (14.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg) has evolved into one of the most electric players in the ECC and the continued development of the likes of Julie Williams (10.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Shannon Duer (9.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is a great sign for NYIT fans. Add in the backcourt talents of transfer Shanice Allen (15.3 ppg) and you have a team capable of beating anyone in the ECC (don’t forget that NYIT defeated regular season champion UDC once and took them to three overtimes in a thrilling defeat). They can win away from home, too, as a 9-6 true road record (10-6 including neutral site contests) attests. Don’t sleep on NYIT getting hot and winning the ECC title for the first time.
Playoff key: Rebound the basketball. The Bears are not one of the better rebounding teams in the ECC (8th in the loop in rebound margin) but have to at least hold their own to win. In their ten losses, NYIT has been beaten on the glass nine times; their rebound margin in those nine games is -9.6; toss out the win in the bunch, when they out-rebounded UDC by nine, and it’s a grisly -11.7. They must improve in this aspect to get anywhere in the post season.
Player to watch (that you might not expect): Audrey Knowlton. The sophomore wing is occasionally lost in the shadows of the bigger names on this team but her play is important to the Bears. Adding solid work at both ends, Knowlton has shown flashes of her ability in multiple roles. Her minutes have decreased recently, the length of the season possibly taking a toll; maybe it’s not coincidental that the losses have piled up, too. NYIT needs her quiet yet effective presence on the floor.

LIU Post managed to overcome the loss of a number of key players in last year’s run to the NCAA East Regional final to once again be in the thick of the championship discussion. Deirdre Moore’s Pioneers (17-11) were bobbing around at 5-5 when the calendar flipped to 2015 and in need of a boost to get back to where they wanted to be. Their first game of the new calendar year was a win at defending national champion Bentley and kicked off a five-game win streak that started to form the unit’s identity. Supreme scorer Chelsea Williams (21.3 ppg, tops in the region) can still explode at any time and Quanisha Ratley (7.3 ppg) has continued to be her steady self but the development of center Nyasia Davis (13.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg) and the immersion of newcomers such as guard Ashley Castle (11.1 ppg) and forward Kalinka DeRoche have made LIU Post a difficult team to defend. They are a bit top-heavy (Williams, Davis, Castle and Ratley score about 53 of the team’s 68 points a game) but the rest of the roster has the ability to come up with unexpectedly big games when the team needs them.
Playoff key: Tempo. The Pioneers tend to give up a lot of points when they lose (1-9 when they concede 70+ points in a game) and that comes back to game tempo. When it’s too hectic, LIU Post turns it over a lot (20 or more time a dozen times so far this year, where they sport a 6-6 record) and they concede too many points, which is a negative. Control the tempo, get to the line (8-3 when taking 25+ foul shots a game) and keep the opponent from easy points and watch Pioneer chances increase considerably.
Player to watch (that you might not expect): Ashley Castle. This is a team that desperately needed a third scorer coming into the season and Castle has generally provided it for them. The transfer has scored 15 or more points nine times this year and LIU Post has won eight of those contests. Williams and Davis will usually receive the bulk of the defensive attention so the requirement for another hot hand lands with Castle. She can make the trey (second on the team behind Williams), gets to the line (third on the club after Williams and Davis) and plays almost 29 minutes a night, the hallmarks of a great support player.

St. Thomas Aquinas fought hard to get back into the playoffs this season and they managed to do it with a late-season surge. The Spartans (13-16) have been up and down, enjoying a few small winning streaks and enduring a couple of three-game losing skids. Kim Lusk’s combine put together their best stretch of the year in early February, beating NYIT, LIU Post and Daemen, making the ECC tournament a distinct possibility instead of a forlorn hope. Freshman guard Jenna Erickson is among the best rookies in the loop and is STAC’s lone double digit scorer (13.6 ppg). Offense has been an issue (62.9 ppg, the second lowest total in the league) and the Spartans compound that by allowing teams to shoot over 41% against them at the other end, also in the running for worst in the league. How did they get in the playoffs, then? They’ve held their own in close games (eight wins in games decided by single digits, seven of them in ECC play), which helps immensely. If STAC can find the same recipe that got them into the playoffs, they have a chance to earn a big scalp.
Playoff key: Shooting. Even though the Spartans are in the lower reaches of the ECC in field goal percentage (38%, 8th in the loop), they have the chops to shoot well. When they hit on 40% or better, St. Thomas Aquinas boasts an 8-3 record, the losses being against playoff teams Queens (70-69), NYIT (93-90) and UDC (69-66) by a total of seven points. Get that right, and STAC can pull an upset off.
Players to watch (that you might not expect): Alyson Brennan and KC Solinski. This is a young team, relying upon perimeter options Erickson and sophomores Samantha Burden (8.2 ppg), Kaitlyn McCue (8 ppg) and Kristen Olsen (6.9 ppg) but Brennan and Solinski, junior frontcourt players, are important to the unit. They are the top rebounders on the roster (over a dozen a game combined) and can contribute offensively, too (12.6 ppg between them; Brennan had a huge 32-point, 12-rebound game at Chaminade early in the season and Solinski finds ways to contribute in a variety of areas, such as a double-double against Mercy). Their solidity and poise is required for St. Thomas Aquinas to advance.