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RADNOR, Pa. – For the second consecutive month of March, the Cabrini women's basketball team is lacing up its dancing shoes and heading to “The Big Dance” after a 78-67 win against league rival Gwynedd-Mercy College in the championship game of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Tournament.
Senior forward Kayleen Smith earned most valuable player recognition, totaling a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Smith shot 9-for-16 from the field overall.
Senior forward Brittany McLeod also recorded a double-double, notching 15 points and 12 boards. McLeod swiped a game-high four steals and came up with two critical blocked shots mid-way through the second half.
Junior shooting guard Kate Walck collected 13 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Senior guard Kate Ryan and junior point guard Deana DiAmico each registered 10 points.
Cabrini owned a 37-31 advantage at halftime after shooting better than 44 percent from the field in the opening period. The Cavaliers led by as much as 10 points, 36-26 in the first half following a jumper from Walck at the 2:09 mark.
Gwynedd-Mercy trimmed its deficit to four points, 45-41, in the opening minutes of the second stanza. However, Cabrini responded with an 8-3 run, securing a 50-44 lead with 12:20 remaining.
The Cavaliers' cushion ballooned to 12 points, 58-46, after a fast-break lay-in from Walck just 90 seconds following.
Just as Gwynedd-Mercy began to chip away at the Cabrini lead, the Cavaliers answered to keep the visitors at arms length. Twice in the final six minutes it was Smith in the post providing the Blue & White with a clutch basket.
Leading by seven points, 63-56, Smith caught a lob feed from DiAmico and deposited a lay-in at the 6:08 mark. Minutes later, Smith knocked down a mid-ranger jumper along the baseline to push to the Cabrini edge back to double digits, 68-56.
The Cavaliers tightly held a 10-point, 75-65, lead in the final minute. After avoiding Gwynedd-Mercy's desperate foul attempts, DiAmico weaved through the pressure and found Ryan alone for three-ball in the corner, sealing the championship victory.
Junior forward Jackie Dooley paced the Griffins' attack with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Junior guard Kate Wisniewski tallied 14 points and four rebounds. Senior guard Bridget Morrin posted nine points, three rebounds and three steals.
Under first-year head coach Bernadette Laukaitis, Cabrini wins its fifth CSAC title. The Blue & White has reached the 23-win plateau for the first time since the 1994-95 campaign.
The Cavaliers will be making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance all-time. Cabrini last advanced to consecutive national tournaments in 1996 and 1997. The Cavaliers made three straight trip to the tournament from 1995-97.
Cabrini (23-4) will learn its NCAA Tournament fate Monday, March 2. The NCAA Women's Basketball Committee will announce the 2009 field at 11 a.m. via a webcast on ncaa.com.
