Box Score

Gannon, Pa. – Largely untested all season, the No. 1 Gannon Lady Knights stared their first defeat of the season straight in the eyes for nearly 30 minutes in Monday night's NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championship. Thanks to its hounding defense, the Millersville women's basketball team traded blows with the nation's only unbeaten team before falling 65-48 on Gannon's home court at the Hammermill Center.

Millersville ends its season at 25-6, tied for the most wins in school history. The Marauders did everything they could early on to silence a raucous pro-Gannon sellout crowd of 2,800. Jenna Craig buried back-to-back jumpers to give MU a 4-3 lead, and from there the Marauders went toe-to-toe with the Lady Knights (36-0).

Aurielle Mosley's turnaround basket in the paint with 11:04 to play in the opening half tied the game at 13 and on the next Millersville possession Ashley Moyer -one of four Millersville seniors putting on the black and gold for the final time- banged home a 3-pointer from the left wing to put the visitors ahead 16-13.

The Black and Gold would not trail again until the 6:35 mark. Kristina Freeman, Gannon's leading scorer, laid one up for a 20-18 lead, but MU had the answer once again with an Aiesha Bellamy bucket. Freeman, who came in averaging nearly 14 points per game, was quiet over the first 20 minutes with just four points.

Craig, who was in rhythm offensively, unloaded a 3-ball to propel MU back in front 23-20, but the Lady Knights responded with a half-ending 11-3 run to take a 31-26 lead to the locker room.

While the Marauders had handled the atmosphere and Gannon's talent well in the opening half, they fell into a statistical category they'd rather not have. Gannon came into Monday night's game winners of 50 straight when leading at the half. That number increased to 51, but not before Millersville countered with everything it had left in the tank.

Raquel Green, who had a one-point first half, scored six right out of the break to cut the Gannon advantage to a pair. Mashira Newman would give Millersville its final lead of the evening when she hit a trey from the left corner to make it 35-34.

Inside-out basketball, depth, rebounding and foul trouble would all eventually catch up to Millersville over the final 10 minutes. Trailing 43-37, the Lady Knights ripped off 18 of the next 23 points to open a 19-point lead. All the Marauders could do was watch as Dominique Stroman, Bellamy, and Newman each took turns sitting on the bench with four fouls. Newman, the program's all-time freshman steals leader, fouled out in the midst of the Gannon run with 6:36 remaining.

“When we started to get in foul trouble, we played with some frustration and got a little bit out of our game. It was a tough situation though, because it broke apart our flow,” noted Marauders' head coach Mary Fleig.

The size and strength of Brittany Tabron and Kim Vargas wore down the Black and Gold as the duo combined for 31 rebounds, three less than the Marauders had all night. Tabron, who was named Atlantic Regional Most Valuable Player, registered a double-double by scoring 13 points and tying a career-high with 17 rebounds.

The offensive surprise of the night went to Tiffany Crocker, however. Crocker, averaging 7.6 points per game coming into the Atlantic Regional Final, netted a team-high 20 to pace Gannon. Crocker helped pick up Carrie Nolan, who was held well below her 13 points per game average. Nolan had just five points on 1-of-10 shooting.

Millersville, which became just the eighth team all season to force Gannon into 20-plus turnovers, was led by Moyer's 12 points. The guard connected on four three-pointers to account for all of her points. She finishes her career with 156 triples, second-best all-time to just Sara Burcin, who made 248 during her time in the Black and Gold.



Coach Fleig, sitting seven wins away from 500 for her career, couldn't have been more pleased with the way her team fought. “The loss in the first round of the PSAC Tournament was tough, but I think it gave us a chance to get re-charged,” commented Fleig. “We had our opportunity and this whole run, including the two wins at California (Pa.) were just so, so special.”

Craig scored all 11 of her points in the first half. Although she only finished with six boards on Monday, the Lewistown, Pa., native racked up 17 double-doubles over four seasons. Green, who missed more than half of last season, came up with seven points and 10 rebounds in defeat. 'Raq' finished off her career with All-PSAC East First Team and NCAA Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team accolades.

Newman finished her stellar rookie season with a six-point, five-assist night and will be relied upon much more over her upcoming seasons. Mosley was big off the bench with six points of her own, helping fill depth voids left by injuries to Emily Balogh and Sophia Waters, neither of whom dressed on Monday night.

“All of my seniors came in from different situations and it was great to watch them grow. We meshed as a team on and off the court and a team with this kind of chemistry was a fun bunch to coach,” said the 20th year Millersville bench boss.

Only the 1999-2000 squad and this year's squad have come this far in an NCAA tournament. Both eclipsed the 25-win barrier, but with the loss Millersville falls to 0-2 in Atlantic Regional Championship games.

Gannon, the tournament's number one seed, advances to face Tusculum, the Southeast Region Champion on Tuesday, March 23, in St. Joseph's, Mo., as part of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Elite Eight.