Mar 9, 2008

Coast Guard Victorious in 2008 ECAC Division III New England Women’s Basketball Championship


2008 ECAC Division III New England Women's Basketball Championship

Seeds
No. 1 Coast Guard Academy (22-5)
No. 2 Western Connecticut State University (20-6)
No. 3 Fitchburg State College (18-8)
No. 4 Endicott College (18-9)
No. 5 Suffolk University (20-8)
No. 6 Western New England College (16-10)
No. 7 Nichols College (20-7)
No. 8 Maine Maritime Academy (19-9)

 

First Round - Wednesday, March 5
Coast Guard 74, Maine Maritime 47 Box Score / Recap
Nichols 70, Western Connecticut 65 Box Score / Recap
Fitchburg State 80, Western New England 55 Box Score / Recap
Endicott 61, Suffolk 59 Box Score / Recap

Semifinals - Saturday, March 8 at Fitchburg
Coast Guard 56, Endicott 39 Box Score / Recap
Fitchburg State 78, Nichols 66 Box Score / Recap

Championship - Sunday, March 9 at Fitchburg
Coast Guard  77, Fitchburg State 63 Box Score

Bracket

Championship Game Recap

FITCHBURG, Mass. - Sophomore Melissa Martinelli was unstoppable in the second half as she had 18 of her game-high 20 points in the final 20 minutes and did not miss a shot the entire game earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament leading top-seeded Coast Guard to its first ECAC Division III New England Tournament Championship with a 77-63 win over third-seeded Fitchburg State.

Martinelli (right), who had 23 points in the semifinal win over Endicott on Saturday, was six-for-six from the floor, all in the second half, and eight-for-eight from the foul line sending the senior class of Natalie Moyer, DeCarol Davis, Corinne McCormack, Laura Hutchinson and Katie Colella, that won a school-record 63 games in four years, out with the school's first ECAC Championship.

Moyer in the final game of her magnificent career added 19 points while Davis added 15 points for the Bears.

Coast Guard shattered the single-season record of 16 wins by posting 25 victories and finishing 25-5. Moyer, the Bears' all-time scoring leader finishes her brilliant career with 1,640 points. She is also the Coast Guard all-time leader in 3-pointers (259), steals (234) and games played (107).

Coast Guard, which had never won a postseason game prior to this season, came out red hot in the early going knocking down five of its first six 3-points shots, two each by Moyer and Davis, to open a 17-6 lead with 14:41 left in the first half. The Bears took their largest lead of the first half, 30-12 following a pair of free throws by Colella with 7:24 left. Coast Guard led 42-27 at halftime.

The Bears were a sizzling 52.6 percent from 3-point range in the first half as they connected on 10 of 19 with Moyer leading the way with four 3-pointers (4-7) and 14 first half points.

Coast Guard finished 12 for 30 from 3-point range (40 percent) and 21-45 from the field (46.7 percent).

The Falcons were 24 of 59 from the floor (40.7 percent) and 3 for 19 from 3-point range (15.8 percent).

Fitchburg State (20-9) made a run in the second half, cutting a 17-point lead (48-31) to ten points at 56-46, but that would be as close as the Falcons would get.

(Courtesy of Fitchburg State College Sports Information)


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