FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2007

2007 ECAC New England Women’s Basketball Championship
Semifinal Game

Norton, MA

1

2

OT

Final

^#8 Rhode Island College (17-11)

41

20

6

67

^#4 Wheaton (19-10)

25

36

8

69

ANCHORWOMEN’S SEASON ENDS WITH OT LOSS, 69-67
RIC Squanders 16-Point Halftime Lead and Falls to Wheaton

     Norton, MA—Fourth-seeded Wheaton outscored eighth-seeded Rhode Island College, 44-26, after halftime to down the Anchorwomen, 69-67, in overtime in semifinal action of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) New England Women’s Basketball Championship. The Anchorwomen end their season with a 17-11 overall record, recording their highest win total for a season since 1999. The Lyons (19-10) advance to play at second-seeded WPI in the championship game tomorrow.

Rhode Island College jumped out to a 16-point half-time lead, bolstered by junior forward Josalee Danieli’s (New Gloucester, ME) and junior guard Sarah Coughlin’s (North Attleboro, MA) 10-point efforts. RIC shot 58 percent from the field (18-for-31) and 75 percent from downtown (3-for-4) in the first stanza.

The Lyons came back with a vengeance in the second frame, led by senior forward Kim McCormack’s (Milton, MA) 10 points and junior guard Becky Aitchison’s (Norwalk, CT) eight points.

An Aitchison layup with 41 seconds left in regulation put the Lyons up two, 61-59, but freshman guard Alice Mullen (Saunderstown, RI) set up senior forward Brittany Rosen (Derry, NH) for the game-tying jumper with 27 seconds left. After a RIC 30-second timeout, Wheaton sophomore guard Bri Smith (Westford, MA) missed a three with time winding down to force the extra session.

Coughlin and senior forward Kari Geisler (Deerfield, NH) scored for RIC on the team’s first two possessions of overtime to put the Anchorwomen up four, 65-61, before a McCormack three got the Lyons back within one. Two Geisler free throws put RIC on top, 67-66, with two minutes left. An Aitchison layup on the ensuing possession gave the lead back to Wheaton, 68-67, and she added an insurance free throw with eight seconds left. Coughlin’s potential game-tying shot fell short with two seconds left.

Geisler finished with 16 points and 14 boards, her 15^th double-double of the season and her fifth consecutive game with both 10 or more points and rebounds. She closes her career with 1,216 career points and 1,045 career rebounds, only the second player in RIC women’s hoop history with 1,000 or more points and rebounds. Geisler is second in career rebounding and seventh in scoring in RIC women’s basketball history.

Danieli added 18 points and nine boards in a losing effort, while Coughlin added 14 points, five boards, six assists and four steals.

-end-