CHAMPS! Stevens Defeats Fisher in E8 Title Game, 52-47
The third seeded Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team punched its ticket to the NCAA Division III Championship with a 52-47 victory over top seeded St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 Conference title game Saturday afternoon. With the win, Stevens 15-12 on the season and extends its winning streak to seven consecutive contests.
The Ducks will find out Monday at 2:30 p.m. when, where and who they will play for the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Stevens last played in the NCAA Championship as an automatic selection in 2015-16.
This marks the fourth time since 2008-09 that Stevens has won the Empire 8 title.
At the conclusion of Saturday's title showdown, senior Megan Brown was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament after netting 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go along with ten rebounds and two assists. Over the two-game tournament, the Laurel, Maryland native shot 17-of-33 from the field and a remarkable 14-of-15 from the free throw line. Stevens' victory marked the fifth time in conference history that a team seeded third is crowned league champion.
A pair of Brown free throws gave Stevens a 50-47 lead with 34 seconds remaining in regulation. After a St. John Fisher timeout that advanced the ball to half court, a tightening Stevens defense forced three straight missed field-goal attempts before freshman Christina Li snagged a defensive rebound. Li was immediately fouled and calmly sank both free throws. After another Fisher timeout, Robertson attempted a quick jumper, but the shot was rejected by Brown to seal the championship.
Stevens shot a blistering 52 percent (13-for-25) from the field en route to opening a 13-point lead at halftime. For the game, the Ducks shot 21-of-51 (41.2 percent), while holding St. John Fisher to just 27 percent for the game, including just 21 percent in the first half.