Another spot in the 2017 NCAA Tournament was secured on Tuesday night, when Mount St. Mary’s defeated Saint Francis in the Northeast Conference championship game, 71-61.
Mount St. Mary’s wins 2017 Northeast Conference basketball tournament: Mountaineers overcome bad first half for 71-61 win
The Mountaineers are going dancing for the fifth time.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Mount St. Mary’s came in as the No. 1 seed in the tournament, posting a 14-4 record in the conference. Saint Francis was the No. 4 seed, and came in with a 11-7 record in the conference, looking for the upset victory in the NEC championship.
The Mountaineers were 0-10 from three-point range in the first half, but were able to keep the game close considering their lack of range. Overall, they shot 28 percent from the field in the half. In the second half, they were able to take a 37-34 lead within the first six minutes after being down 31-23 at the half.
Mount St. Mary’s was able to extend that lead as the half progressed, with their home crowd louder than they had been at any other point in the game. Up 11 with 11:30 left in the second half, the Mountaineers could smell the big dance.
As the second half progressed and Saint Francis was unable to put a dent into the Mountaineer lead, looks of dejection fell across the faces of the Red Flash players. The Mountaineers shot 5-12 from three-point range in the second half, a huge improvement from their 0-10 first half start.
Mount St. Mary’s would hold onto their lead, and they would earn their automatic bid with the win. Guard Elijah Long led Mount St. Mary’s with 24 points on the evening, with Junior Robinson pitching in 22 of his own.
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