Box Score EMMITSBURG, Md. (March 13, 2022) – Mount St. Mary's women's basketball repeated their run in the Northeast Conference Tournament, battling as the No. 3 seed to earn a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Playing in front of 2,272 excited fans at Knott Arena – a record for a NEC women's title game – the Mount defeated No. 7 seed Bryant by a final of 60-42.
The return to March Madness is the fourth in program history, and Sunday made five overall NEC Championships. This unit joins the 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2021 squads.
Michaela Harrison took home tournament MVP honors after a spectacular performance over three games, culminating in a 17-point effort in the finale.
Kendall Bresee added 13 points and five rebounds.
Isabella Hunt led all rebounders with six. Down to seven players due to injuries, every available member supplied at least three points, one rebound and a steal.
The Mount also received gutsy performances from sophomores
Jessica Tomasetti and
Jada Lee. Tomasetti added seven points, three boards and a block. Lee extended several possessions with four offensive rebounds, coupled with four points.
After upsetting the No. 2 and No. 1 seeds coming into Sunday, Bryant ended their tenacious run with a final record of 10-22. Brooke Bjelko finished with 16 for the Bulldogs.
Kayla Agentowicz sent the crowd into a frenzy on the first possession. Forcing a Bulldogs turnover, the sixth year guard broke through the paint and supplied a successful layup. Bryant took brief one point leads at two junctions before the Mount grabbed it back on a Harrison triple. The sides fought to a 14-13 score after the first quarter.
Mount St. Mary's took control in the second quarter. Hunt tallied four in a row to put the Mountaineers up 22-15 with 6:59 to go. During the final minute,
Tess Borgosz forced another turnover, allowing Bresee to convert a layup. Harrison's drive on the next possession gave the Mount a 33-22 halftime advantage.
A 6-2 run to open the third quarter buried all doubts of a championship victory. Bresee's step back jumper with 8:22 left forced the Bulldogs to call timeout. Bryant made only minimum cuts into their deficit. Another Harrison driving layup in the first moments of the fourth pushed the Mount to a 52-31 lead – their largest of the night. As Bresee and Agentowicz received the heroic send off from the crowd, Harrison clinched the game high in points with a three pointer to cap off the championship run.
The 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show airs at 8 p.m. tonight on ESPN, transitioning to ESPN2 at 9 p.m. A celebratory watch party is being held at the Palmieri Activities Center.
