Fairfield, Conn. (March 15, 2009) – Allison Daly (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) put up her third double-double in five games and her second in the playoffs, but wasn't enough as the Saint Francis women's basketball team fell to the Sacred Heart Pioneers in the Northeast Conference Championship game. The Red Flash were only the second team in NEC history to make it to the finals after finishing in last place the season before.
“We can be pleased with how we finished,” said head coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl, who piloted the team to one of the nation's top turnarounds in just her second year at the helm. “I'm very proud of them. But we can't be satisfied with the end result, because it can get better.”
The Red Flash got off to a slow start, scoring their first four points from the charity stripe before Hodges put up a jumper with 13:32 remaining in the first half, ending a 13-4 Sacred Heart run.
Daly and Brittany Lilley (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) each put up four points off of three steals by Daly over a two minute span, cutting the deficit to just five. Kaitlin Sowinski and Khalia Cain were both perfect at the free-throw line to put the Pioneers back up by nine. Whitney Robinson (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont) (Fairmont, W. Va./Fairmont) was 2-for-2 at the line for the Flash and Samantha Leach (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) sunk a three with under a minute to go in the half as Saint Francis went to the locker room trailing 33-29 at halftime.
Saint Francis started the second half off at the free-throw line, as Lilley came away with a point just 25 seconds into play. The two teams traded lay ups before Leach went to the line and came away with two as the Red Flash came within three of the Pioneers.
A lay up by Sowinski with 8:10 remaining put Sacred Heart up by 13. However, Janie Killian (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills) (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills) sunk two at the line to bring it back down to 11. Sowinski put up a lay up and a free-throw, but Leach and Lilley both took two from the free-throw line to shrink the Pioneers' lead to 10.
Daly and Lilley again put up jumpers to put the score at 60-65 with 2:20 left to play. Hodges put up two jumpers in the last minute of play, but it wasn't enough as the Red Flash sent Alisa Apo to the free-throw line and fell 74-66.
The loss was the first in the playoffs since 1995, and ended a 29-game win streak in the NEC tournament for the Flash.
Leach and Lilley lead the team in scoring with 15 points apiece. Lilley, who was named to the NEC All-Tournament Team, grabbed nine rebounds and also had a blocked shot. Daly put up her second double-double of the tournament with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and was also named to the All-Tournament Team for her efforts. Daly had six of the Red Flash's 12 steals.
“I think that comes from the team,” said Daly of her selection to the All-Tournament team. “The supporting cast always has to get credit. You have players, like our seniors, that really step up. You have Sam Leach, who's one of our best players on the team. You have a great freshmen class who can play all sorts of minutes. We just have an all around great team.”
In her final appearance with the Flash, Robinson had four points, six boards and two blocks.
Saint Francis shot just 32.9 percent from the floor and were a season low 11.1 percent from beyond the arc. The free-throw line was a bright spot, as the Flash were 18-of-20 from the line. Leach led the way at the charity stripe, going 8-of-8.
