Box Score WASHINGTON, D.C. – Second seeded SUNY Morrisville women's basketball will be making a program first trip to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, capturing the 2021-22 United East title after battling through extra time to upset top seed and host Gallaudet University 74-69 in Washington, D.C. Saturday evening.

THE BASICS:

• Final Score: #2 Morrisville 74, #1 Gallaudet University 69 (halftime: Gallaudet 37-33)
• Location: Gallaudet University Field House, Washington, D.C.
• Records: Morrisville 19-7, Gallaudet University 16-9

 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Second seeded SUNY Morrisville showed resilience Saturday evening as they battled back from a double-digit deficit in the first half, battled through an overtime period, and captured the program's first conference title posing the upset 74-69 victory over top seeded Gallaudet University in Washington.
• With the win the Mustangs improve to 19-7 overall and earn the United East's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament set to begin next Friday.

  

• Freshman Cara Walker (Phelps, N.Y.) was named tournament Most Valuable Player, leading the Mustangs with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists in the championship final, adding to her semifinal round to post a collective 32 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists across tourney action. 
• Sophomore guard Rachel Vieira (Caruthers, Calif.) poured in 20 points as well, hitting four three-pointers, while adding four steals and two assists to her tallies.
• Vieira showed her tournament experience down the stretch, hitting four straight free throws to seal the win.
• For a second straight game, Olivia Brunner (East Branch, N.Y.) played big for the Mustangs, collecting 11 points, while challenging the league leaders on the glass for seven total rebounds – four that came on the offensive boards.
• Brinner also connected for five assists in the contest.
• Taylor Colone-Microni (Oneonta, N.Y.) rounded out double digit scoring leaders with her 10 points, adding two assists, while hitting 3-of-8 from beyond the arc.
• Brooke Hammersley (Weedsport, N.Y.) collected a team high 10 rebounds, assisted three, stole two and chipped in four three throws.
• Morrisville had a slow start on the afternoon, netting their first bucket of the game just over three minutes into the opening frame, and trailed by as many as 10 before putting together a 12-2 run to close out the quarter and send the game into the second with a 16-14 deficit.
• After a Gallaudet layup from leading scorer Cassidy Perry, Vieira added two from the free throw line and Walker nailed one from the top of the key to cut the lead to five.
• Abby Vandewalker (Johnstown, N.Y.) followed with a second straight three-ball for the Mustangs, before Brunner converted in the paint with 19 seconds remaining to make it a 16-14 game.
• Gallaudet jumped back out in front with back-to-back scores early on in the second, but Vandewalker found the open corner and drained her second three of the contest to cut into the Bison lead.
• The hosts increased their advantage to as many as eight midway through, but a persistent Mustang offense showed poise and continued chipping away at the lead putting together a 12-2 run once again to claim their first lead of the contest with 2:06 to go before half.
• Gallaudet utilized Perry and Malia Zornoza to regain the lead for the top seed at the break.
• Morrisville had a slow start to the third quarter, trailing by as many as nine with 1:24 to go, but Walker drove the lane and Vieira nailed one from the wing to cut the deficit to four heading into the fourth frame.
• Staying within striking distance, Morrisville opened with an 8-0 offensive blitz to claim their largest lead of the game, 53-49, behind Walker and Brunner attacking the paint, but Gallaudet quickly responded behind Perry's play to cut the lead to two.
• Vieira nailed her third three of the evening, extending the Mustang lead to five with just over four minutes to play in regulation, but once again the Bison challenged Morrisville and stayed within one possession.
• Colone-Microni hit a huge three for the second seed and provided a cushion, forcing Gallaudet to move the ball inside where Perry tied it up at 60 with her jumper in the paint, forcing the extra time.
• Gallaudet jumped early and often, claiming a two-possession lead with 3:21 to go in extra time, but Colone-Microni stepped up and nailed two straight from the right wing beyond the three-point line to shift the lead in favor of the Mustangs with 2:18 remaining.
• Exchanging possessions over the next minute and change, Perry regained the one-point lead for the Bison with two free throws, but as with the rest of the match, Morrisville continued to push and Walker posted the go ahead layup with 39 ticks to go after receiving the bullet pass from Hammersley.
• Gallaudet's attempt to take the lead bounced off the rim, and the rebound landed in the ands of Hammersley, found the outlet in Vieira, who was sent to the line after the forced foul.
• Vieira hit both free throws to extend the Mustang lead to three with 12 seconds to go, and following a missed three-point attempt by the Bison earned a second trip to the charity stripe where she put away both with under four seconds remaining, sealing the win for Morrisville.
• Morrisville was 11-for-33 from beyond the arc, hit 15-of-22 from the line, and across the contest shot 35.8%.
• Seventeen of their points came off Bison miscues (19), while holding Gallaudet to just nine second chance points and a 10% effort from long range.

 
WHAT'S NEXT:
 

• Morrisville earns the United East's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The 2022 selection show will air on NCAA.com at 2:30 p.m. ET on Monday, February 28.
• Tournament action will begin Friday, March 4 and will run through the national championship scheduled Saturday, March 19 in Pittsburgh, Pa a the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
• Selection information will be made available once final details are announced.

 
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