SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's basketball team heads to Maine on Friday for the NCAA Tournament First and Second rounds, taking on FDU-Florham in the opening game on the campus of Bowdoin College at 5 p.m.
Host Bowdoin will take on Husson in the second game of the regional "pod" Friday evening. The winners of the two games will meet for the second round game on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Tickets for each day will be $7 for adults and $4 for students/children/seniors. Tickets will be sold one hour prior to the games (4 p.m. on Friday, 6 p.m. on Saturday).
Live stats for the Skidmore-FDU Florham game are available
HERE. Live stats for the Bowdoin-Husson game are available
HERE. All regional games will be carried live on the
Northeast Sports Network.
Skidmore Thoroughbreds (18-9, Liberty League Champions)
Skidmore (18-9) is coming into the NCAA Tournament on a roll, winning 12 of the last 13 games, including six straight to win the Liberty League title after a 65-42 victory against RIT last Sunday. It's the second-ever NCAA bid for the Thoroughbreds; its first run in the 2014-15 season ended with a thrilling 62-60 overtime loss to host St. John Fisher.
Defense and timely shooting have carried the Thoroughbreds on this run. Skidmore has frustrated opponents on the defensive end during the last 13 games, with opponents averaging 49.4 points per game. That mark would lead the country over the course of the season.
On the other end, the Thoroughbreds have heated up from the field, bumping their averages up to 41.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. Overall, the Thoroughbreds sport three-time Liberty League Player of the Year, senior forward
Kelly Donnelly, who is among the nation's best in scoring (19.4 ppg), fifth in field goals made (219) and 31
st in defensive rebounds per game (8.0). For her career, the senior is the all-time leading scorer with 1,806 points and third in rebounds with 1,024.
All-Liberty League Second team selection
Veronica Moceri is second on the team with 11.8 points per game. The senior guard is one of the nation's top shooters from the free throw line, making 82.1 percent of her shots. Fellow senior guard
Ari Fustini is third in scoring (6.6 ppg) and has heat up from the field in the last pair of games, averaging 17.0 points on 52.4 percent shooting from the field (11-for-21) and 60 percent from 3-point range (9-for-15). Senior forward
Caite Opfer has been a force on defense, averaging 2.0 blocks and 1.3 steals during the last six games. She averages 6.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during the season, leading the team in blocks (23) and second in steals (38). Junior guard
Haley English is the other likely starter, averaging 5.0 points and 2.7 assists per game.
FDU-Florham Devils (21-6, MAC-Freedom Champions)
FDU-Florham, Skidmore's Friday opponent, claimed its sixth consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Championship as the Devils knocked off DeSales 76-59 Saturday afternoon. The Devils are no strangers to postseason play, making the NCAA Tournament in the last six seasons, including a 33-0 national championship run in the 2013-14 season. Sophomore Kendrea Williams was named the MAC Freedom Player of the Year and MAC Freedom Championship Tournament MVP. Williams, Gabrielle Harris and Bria Smith became the first trio to earn First Team MAC Freedom honors in league history in the process. Williams broke the school record for points (45) and three-pointers made (nine) when the Devils topped Hartwick in December. Williams also connected on 99 three-pointers this season, the most in a season.
Bowdoin College Polar Bears (24-2, At-Large)
Host Bowdoin has qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time in the last 18 seasons...The Polar Bears posted the second-best regular season mark in program history (23-1) and only two losses are to top-ten teams Amherst and Tufts in conference play. Bowdoin owns the 8th-best strength of schedule in Division III this season and is ranked fifth in the nation in both scoring offense (81.2) and scoring defense (47.3) with the nation's second-ranked scoring margin (+33.9). Senior guard Kate Kerrigan was named the NESCAC Player of the Year and NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. Abby Kelly was named Second Team All-NESCAC. Bowdoin and Skidmore are familiar with each other; the Thoroughbreds and Polar Bears met in the season opener on Nov. 17 at the Skidmore Invitational in Saratoga Springs. Bowdoin picked up the 76-42 victory.
Husson University Eagles (19-9, NAC Champions)
Husson is coming off its third straight North Atlantic Conference championship. Junior Kenzie Worcester surpassed the 1,000-point career mark after 500 points this season and was named the NAC Tournament MVP. Sami Ireland was a second team All-NAC selection. In her 28th season at Husson, head coach Kissy Walker has 488 career victories and has led the Eagles to 26 winning campaigns and six NCAA Tournament appearances, including three consecutive trips.
