Albany, N.Y. - Behind two
23-point performances from Cassandra Callaway and Ebone Henry, the University
at Albany women's basketball team won the program's first-ever America East
Conference Championship title with a 69-61 victory over UMBC on Saturday
evening at SEFCU Arena. The Great Danes improve to 23-9 on the season, and
await their opponent in the NCAA Tournament. UAlbany will find out its
tournament destination on Monday at 7 p.m.
UAlbany
scored the first point of the game on a free throw from Adrienne Jones. UMBC
got back-to-back baskets from Kristin Cole to hold one-point leads twice, the
only times the Retrievers would be on top on the scoreboard. The Great Danes
got consecutive 3-pointers from Henry and Callaway, before two free throws by
Henry gave UAlbany a seven-point advantage, 13-6, with 14:30 to play in the
first half. UMBC battled back, and tied the game at 18-18 with just over seven
minutes to go, and the teams exchanged baskets, tying the game three times as
the clock ticked under five minutes to play. Henry kept firing for the Great
Danes, converting a conventional 3-point play with 1:14 in the half. UMBC's
Tope Obajolu hit one of two free throws with under a minute to go to set the
halftime score at 34-27, with UAlbany on top.
After
pulling ahead by nine on a Lindsey Lowrie jumper to start the half, UAlbany saw
its lead dwindle to two, 41-39, as Michelle Kurowski and Erin Brown connected
on baskets with 12:25 to play. The Great Danes stayed ahead, but the Retrievers
continued to fight, tying the game for the fourth time on a jumper by Coles. UAlbany
could sense the victory ahead as the clock closed to the five-minute mark, and
Henry nailed a deep 3-pointer. Two free throws by Megan Craig and a jumper by
Callaway put the Great Danes ahead by six, 59-53, with 3:47 on the clock.
Coming
out of a media timeout, Henry converted a layup and hit two free throws,
building up a nine-point, 63-54, advantage on the Retrievers. As the clock
wound down to under a minute, Callaway went 4-for-4 from the free throw line,
and Adrienne Jones hit a fast-break layup to set the final score, at 69-61, and
seal up the Great Danes' first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
"I'm very proud of my fourteen young women," said UAlbany
head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who was named the America East Coach of
the Year after leading the Great Danes to their first 20-win season in Division
I. "I'm all about the journey. I've always said it's about the journey, we have
to enjoy this."
Henry, who earned the tournament's
Most Outstanding Player award, went 7-of-8 from the free throw line, and also
recorded three rebounds, three steals and two assists. Callaway shot 8-of-13
from the floor, including going 3-for-3 from beyond the 3-point line, and
handed out six assists. The Great Danes shot 45.5 percent (25-55) from the
floor in the game.
UMBC (17-15) was led by Obajolu, who
finished with a team-high 16 points and six rebounds. Coles added 12 points,
while Brown and Kurowski chipped in with 10 points apiece. America East Rookie
of the Year Lauren Chase also handed out six assists for the Retrievers.
UAlbany will watch the NCAA
Selection Show on Monday evening at 7 p.m. to see where the team will be headed
for its first-ever NCAA Tournament.
