SCORE: UAlbany 73, NJIT 52
 
LOCATION: Broadview Center - Albany, N.Y.
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 24-5, 14-2 America East | NJIT 11-18, 8-8 America East
 
SHORT STORY: With their victory over NJIT, the Great Danes cemented their place as the sole champions of the America East regular season, Saturday night. 

COACH COLLEEN MULLEN: "Everyone played for our six amazing seniors tonight. This game is a great example of how much toughness and resilience this team has and the way they believe in and play for each other. The players executed a game plan at both ends for four quarters. I'm so proud of how we finished the game."
 
KEY STATS

• Graduate students Kaci Donovan (19), Jessica Tomasetti (18), and Kayla Cooper (12) each recorded double-digit points. 
• Cooper led the team in rebounds (9) and assists (8). 
• Graduate student Lily Phillips and Cooper shared the team-high in steals with two each.
• Phillips also shared the team-high two blocks with junior Gabriela Falcão.
• Collectively, the Great Danes shot 53.4% from the field and Kaci Donovan shot 80% from the field. 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Senior Abby Ray recorded the first field goal of the game to tie it at three less than two minutes in. 
• NJIT held a small one-point lead at 7:04.
• Throughout the next five minutes, the Great Danes held the Highlanders scoreless while adding 15 points for a 20-6 advantage at 2:02.
• In the last two minutes of the quarter, NJIT put up seven points to UAlbany's three.
• Up 23-13, Kayla Cooper kicked off scoring for the Great Danes by tallying two points. 
• NJIT answered with a 10-5 scoring run for much of the quarter.
• Both teams traded points throughout the rest of the half and UAlbany entered halftime up, 37-28.
• The two teams continued to swap points during the entire third quarter. 
• The Great Danes gradually worked for a 13-point lead heading into the final quarter.
• Jessica Tomasetti and Lilly Phillips combined for a 6.4-second play to give UAlbany a buzzer-beater three-pointer from Phillips.
• Although the Great Danes outscored the Highlanders, 18-10, in the fourth, both teams continued to trade baskets for all 10 minutes of action.
• After an NJIT jumper on the first possession, UAlbany held the Highlanders to only free throws for four minutes.
• Overall, the Great Danes allowed just three field goals from NJIT in the final quarter.
• The Highlanders got the final say with a last-second layup but it was not enough and UAlbany earned a 21-point victory, 73-51.

 
NEXT: The Great Danes will host eighth-seeded New Hampshire for an America East Quarterfinal contest on Thursday (March 6).
 
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