EMMITSBURG, Md. (March 14, 2021) – Mount St. Mary's women's basketball won their fourth Northeast Conference Championship Sunday, decisively defeating the Wagner Seahawks for the title. The win advances the Mount to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995.
Rebecca Lee recorded her second double-double of the tournament, and fifth of the season, scoring 18 points with 11 rebounds. She was named NEC Tournament MVP for her efforts. Aryna Taylor and Kendall Bresee also made the All-Tournament Team, with Taylor tying Lee for a game-high 18 and Bresee nearing a triple-double with 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Michaela Harrison added eight foul shots in 10 tries to join the all-tournament trio in double figures with 15. As a unit, the Mount overcame a slow start to shot over 50 percent for the second and third quarters.
Defense changed the course of the contest, nullifying an early Wagner lead. The Seahawks shot 6-for-16 in the first quarter, and 6-for-39 after. The 38 points surrendered were the lowest the Mount has given up in any game this season.
Both teams experienced nerves at the outset, but the Seahawks shook off the jitters first. The visitors took the lead with a triple from Khealah Edwards and built up a 12-4 lead halfway into the quarter. Kayla Agentowicz sparked the Mountaineers' retort with a layup and Jessica Tomasetti followed with a bucket to cut it to three. Lee completed the rally with a layup and the deficit was one after 10 minutes.
Mount St. Mary's took charge in the opening moments of the second quarter. Harrison hit two shots at the charity stripe for a 16-15 lead, and by the six-minute mark, a Bresee and one surged the lead up to 28-17. Wagner temporarily pushed the lead down to six before the Mount sent it back to double digits.
The momentum rolled into the second half as the Mount transformed a 10 point lead and doubled it 20. Lee went 4-for-5 from the floor to lead all players with nine points in the period. She alone out scored the Seahawks by three points.
The fourth quarter was a formality as the Mount submitted the bench to be on the floor in closing time. No matter who was on the floor, the defense continued to be stellar. Wagner was unable to register a made field goal in the final 10. Foul shots helped the Seahawks get six points in the quarter, but the Mount registered 18. Harrison hit a trey with three made shots at the line to push her total to double digits.
The 32-point margin of victory is the highest in a NEC Championship game since 2013, when Quinnipiac beat Saint Francis (Pa.) 72-33.
For Mount St. Mary's, they appear in the Big Dance for the first time in 26 years. After beating the Red Flash in the 1995 title game, the Mount fell to Alabama in the first round.
A victory in the NCAA tournament would be the program's first. The team will find out their opponent Monday (March 15) evening during the WNCAA Selection Show. Coverage begins on ESPN at 7 p.m., transferring to ESPNU at 8 p.m.
