Cabrini University Cavaliers (19-7, 10-2 Atlantic East) vs. Marymount University Saints (22-4, 11-1 Atlantic East)
Atlantic East Conference Tournament Championship
Saturday, February 29, 12pm
Nerney Field House

Game Day Links: Live Stats, Webcast
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Last Meeting: Marymount 68, Cabrini 45 (2/5/2020, Arlington, VA)
The Cavs were hampered by poor shooting as they shot just 27.6 percent from the floor, including 23.1 percent from beyond the arc, while also struggling on the glass as the Saints finished with a 44-19 advantage in rebounds. 

Junior Kate Lannon led the Blue and White offensively with 11 points and three rebounds, while senior Meghan Matthews and junior Lexi Edwards added eight and seven points, respectively. Freshman Miranda Liebtag pulled in a team best four rebounds. 

Cabrini opened the game with back to back three pointers, courtesy of Matthews and Lannon, to take a 6-0 lead at the 6:51 mark. A triple from Liebtag pushed the Cavaliers lead to 11-4 with 5:21 left, but an ensuing 17-4 run in favor of the Saints swung momentum and handed the hosts a 21-15 lead heading into the second quarter. 

The Saints ramped up their defensive effort in the second stanza as they forced nine turnovers, leading to 11 points. In total, Marymount would outscore the Cavs 23-7 in the quarter as they pushed the lead to 44-22 heading into the intermission. 

The Cavs offensive woes continued in the second half as they tallied just five points in the third quarter. Despite finding their rhythm in the fourth quarter to the tune of 18 points, the Cavs comeback proved too little too late as the Saints would hang on for the eventual 68-45 final. 

Cabrini Last Time Out: Cabrini 93, Gwynedd Mercy 87 (2/22/2020, Radnor, PA)
Meghan Matthews paired 29 points and 22 rebounds, both career highs, for her fourth double double of the season. Junior Lexi Edwards added a season high 24 points, while classmate Ashley Tutzauer netted 20 points in 25 minutes of action. Sophomore Kirsten Searcy chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and five assists to round out the Cavs in double figures. 

As a whole, the offensive unit was dominant in the paint as they finished with a 56-38 advantage on points in the paint, while the defense held the Griffins to 30.5 percent from the floor and tallied six blocks. 

The Cavs jumped out to fast start as they claimed a 13-3 lead just three and a half minutes into the game and extended their lead to a 24-11 advantage at quarters end. 

Gwynedd found their offensive rhythm to start the second quarter, however as they used a 13-2 run to trim the Cavs' lead to five at 29-24. Back-to-back buckets from Lannon served as a stopper for the Blue and White as they rattled off an 8-2 run in response. The Griffins offense continued to click, chipping away at the Cavaliers' lead and ultimately ending the half trailing 46-40. 

A back and forth third quarter gave way to the final frame with the Blue and White clinging to a four point lead with three minutes left in the game. A driving Edwards found pay dirt and handed the Cavs an 89-83 cushion with 2:28 to play. Following a pair of free throws from Matthews, Gwynedd's Carley Huggard and Jill Kane delivered back to back baskets to trim the Cavs' lead back to four points with just over 30 seconds remaining. 

That would be as close as Gwynedd would come, however as two more free throws from Matthews, who finished a perfect 11-11 from the line, put the game on ice and secured a championship berth in the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Tournament.

Marymount Last Time Out: Marymount 70, Marywood 47 (2/26/2020, Arlington, VA)
The Marymount University women's basketball team punched its ticket to the Atlantic East Conference championship game, with a 70-47 victory over Marywood University on Wednesday night in an Atlantic East semifinal contest.

Freshman Symantha Shackelford got the Saints started with a three-pointer on their first possession, sparking a 7-0 run to open the game. However, Marywood responded to take a 10-9 lead, with a 10-2 run, before hold a 14-11 edge after the first quarter.

The Pacers pushed the edge to 16-11 to start the second, before junior Aidan Phillips hit two free throws and knocked down a three to tie the score. A 5-0 spurt regained the lead for Marywood, but the Saints flipped the momentum and took a 14-2 run into halftime.

Phillips hit another three to give Marymount the lead, 23-21, with 4:04 to go, before freshman Lauren Cunningham scored from long range. Junior Kathryn Ryan and sophomore Katie McShea converted layups to give the team a 30-23 lead at the break.

Layups from senior Gabriella Haddad, McShea, and Ryan kept the Saints in control to start the second half. The Saints defense clamped down to only allow nine third-quarter points by the Pacers, while Haddad added two more layups to lead with six points in the frame, allowing Marymount to take a 44-32 lead into the final quarter.

Phillips got hot again in the fourth, pouring in another 12 points, while hitting two more threes. She led a 26-point quarter for the Saints, as the team continued to build on its lead to the eventual 70-47 final. 

 

	TALE OF THE TAPE
No. 2 Cabrini		No. 1 Marymount
19-7, 10-2 Atlantic East	Record	22-4, 11-1 Atlantic East
73.8	Points per Game	70.2
.395	FG Percentage	.445
.318	3-Points FG Percentage	.343
.730	FT Percentage	.677
42.8	Rebounds per Game	41.6
18.8	Assists per Game	13.6
4.7	Blocked Shots per Game	2.0
11.2	Steals per Game	10.5
16.3	Turnovers per Game	17.5
	TEAM LEADERS
Ashley Tutzauer (15.3)	Points per Game	Katie McShea (18.2)
Meghan Matthews (8.4)	Rebounds per Game	Katie McShea (10.2)
Cassidy Gallagher (2.9)	Assists per Game	Adan Phillips (2.5)
Katie Rodriguez (1.9)	Blocked Shots per Game	Katie McShea (0.6)
Ashley Tutzauer (2.7)	Steals per Game	Gabriella Haddad (1.8)