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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The Skidmore College women's basketball will look to continue its historic run when it takes on St. John Fisher in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship tournament, Friday evening at Tufts.
 
Skidmore (17-10) vs. St. John Fisher (21-6)
Game Details: Friday, March 6 – 5 p.m. | Tufts University | Medford, Mass.
Game Coverage: Video
Tickets: $6 Adults, $4 Students (with ID) Available at the door.

SCOUTING THE THOROUGHBREDS (17-10)
 
Skidmore knocked off top-seeded St. Lawrence for the third time this season, en route to the program's first ever Liberty League title and NCAA tournament bid. Senior guard Molly McLaughlin was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after scoring a season-high 21 points Saturday's double overtime win. She also tallied 18 points against Clarkson in the semifinal. Senior forward Angela Botiba and freshman guard Kelly Donnelly each produced a double-double. Botiba had 13 points to go along with a game-high 16 rebounds, while Donnelly had 14 points and 13 boards.
 
The Thoroughbreds have relied on solid team defense all season. Skidmore ranks  third out of 434 Division III teams in defensive rebounds per game (33), 17th in 3-point field goal defense (24.3%) and 21st in field-goal percentage defense (32.6%). The Thoroughbreds have held their opponents to under 40% shooting from the floor in 24 of 27 games, limiting the opposition to under 33% shooting in 13 of those contests.
 
Botiba has been a driving force behind Skidmore's success, recording 13 double-doubles. She is shooting a league-best 51.7% from the field and she leads the team in scoring, (13.7 ppg), rebounds per game (10.4) and blocked shots per game (1.7).
 
McLaughlin has also played a pivotal role, producing a conference-high 4.9 assists per game, while ranking second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8). She has posted six or more assists in 11 games and she leads the team in 3-point field goal percentage (33.1%) and 3-pointers per game (2.0).
 
Donnelly has started 25 of 27 games in her freshman campaign. She has eight double-doubles this season, including five in the last seven games. She has been a major contributor at both ends of the floor, leading them team in steals per game (1.4) and ranking second in blocked shots per game (1.2) and scoring (10.1 ppg).
 

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SCOUTING THE CARDINALS (20-6)
 
Fisher clinched its bid into the NCAA tournament with a 86-84 overtime win against top-seeded Ithaca, securing the program's fourth overall title. Junior guard Mary Kate Cusack was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after pouring in a career-high 41 points, going 12 of 23 from the field including 8 for 17 from beyond the arc. Senior guard Portia Velasco added 19 points, four rebounds and four assists in the win.
 
The Cardinals, who registered their 28th 20-win season, will be making their 15^th NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. Fisher is 18-15 all-time in NCAA tournament contests.
 
Fisher features one of the nation's top offenses, averaging 73.0 points per game. The Cardinals have outscored their opponents by an average of 12.9 points per game, placing them 44th in Division III in scoring margin. Fisher is 43rd in the country in 3-pointers per game (6.6). The Cardinals offense has been sparked by its defense, which leads the league in steals per game (11.6). Fisher also ranks ninth in Division III in turnover margin (8.6).
 
Cusack has been the offensive catalyst, leading the leads conference in scoring (17.7 ppg), 3-point field goal percentage (38.3%), 3-pointers per game (2.6) and ranking third in field goal percentage (44.6%) and seventh in assists per game (2.5). Velasco has been a consistent contributor at both ends of the floor, averaging 15.1 points per game on 47.4% shooting and 2.5 steals per game. Syndney Bloomstein has been the team's top rebounder, averaging 6.5 boards per game to go along with 0.8 blocked shots per contest.
 

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UP NEXT:
The winner advances to take on the winner of Friday's second matchup between host Tufts and Pine Manor. The second round game is scheduled for 5 p.m., Saturday, March 7.