Box Score
ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University women's basketball won the 2010 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship by defeating Gwynedd-Mercy, 75-58, Sunday afternoon.
Neumann picked up their first conference championship since the 1988-89 season in the PAIAW Conference. The Knights also recorded the first twenty win season since 1987-88, where Neumann had a 20-11 record. This year, the Knights are currently 20-6.
Neumann's offense was paced by CSAC Championship MVP Brittany Whetts, who netted 26 points and pulled in eight rebounds. Katie Young scored 14 points and recorded 11 rebounds. Sami Borcky contributed 11 points in the win.
The Griffins saw three players in double figures. Kristy McGrath led Gwynedd-Mercy with 19 points and nine rebounds. Jackie Dooley netted 16 points and Alison Nelson added 12 points.
Gwynedd-Mercy opened up the scoring in the championship game with a three-pointer by McGrath. For the next eight minutes the teams exchanged baskets. A Whetts jumper with 12:04 on the clock gave Neumann their first lead of the game, 13-11, and the Knights would not surrender that lead for the remainder of the game. The Griffins stayed within reach of Neumann for much of the first half, but the Knights took control in the final four minutes, going on an 11-3 run to take a 39-27 lead into half time.
Neumann continued to outpace the Griffins in the second half. The Knights continued to extend their lead, spreading the point margin to 16, to take the advantage 47-31, with sixteen minutes left in regulation. A Bryn Cotteta foul shot pulled the Griffins to within eight points, 48-40, the closest they would get in the second half, with just under thirteen and a half minutes on clock.
The Knights responded with a 10-5 run to quickly extend the lead back to 15 points with 9:06 remaining. The final nine minutes of play had Neumann keeping Gwynedd-Mercy at arm's length, not letting them to within more than 12 points. Stephanie Fanto hit a three-pointer with 1:49 remaining in regulation to give Neumann their largest lead of the half, a 19 point margin, 72-53. Neumann picked up the CSAC Championship with the 75-58 victory.
With the win Neumann earns a trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
