* Sunday's ECC games cleared up some of the playoff issues but clouded others. The recap begins with a title-clinching win in western New York...
* NYIT jumped to a 17-2 edge and led all the way in defeating host Daemen, 75-58, nailing down the ECC regular season crown. Dina Ragab was superb for the Bears (33 points, 8 boards, 11-16 FG, 10-11 FT) while Shannon Duer (17 points, 12 caroms) posted another double-double in support. The Wildcats, fighting for a playoff spot, managed to whittle the deficit to 37-30 by the half and were as close as 40-34 early in the third period when NYIT responded with a rally-squelching 17-2 burst. The resulting 58-38 lead was more tha enough for NYIT to get the job done and win their region-best 23rd game. Sarah Saba (15 points, 10 caroms) and Somara Colon (10 points) led the Daemen effort but they shot only 30% (NYIT shot 42%) as a team. The Wildcats are two games out of a playoff spot with two games left so their margin for error is gone.
* St. Thomas Aquinas pulled off an impressive road win at the University of the District of Columbia, 75-56, to nearly lock up an ECC playoff berth. The Spartans led from stem-to-stern, using an 11-0 second period binge to help earn a 41-24 halftime advantage. The Firebirds didn't have any serious rallies in them after that and fall into a tie for second place in the ECC with Roberts Wesleyan. Alex Bertolino (22 points), Jenna Erickson (16 points, 7 assists) and Samantha Burden (15 points) sparked the STAC success as they shot 49% overall and abused UDC in the turnover game. The Spartans forced eleven more mistakes (23-11) and turned that into a massive 37-14 edge in points-off-turnovers to fuel the fire. UDC, led by Taj Baldwin-Kollore (22 points), won the glass battle (42-27) but nothing else. STAC is tied with Molloy for fifth place in the league, both two games ahead of the pack with two games remaining.
* Roberts Wesleyan repelled LIU Post, 67-60, to pull into a second place ECC tie with UDC thanks to a decisive fourth quarter. The contest was close for three-plus periods with the Pioneers scoring the first two baskets of the fourth quarter to claim a 50-44 lead. The Redhawks responded with an 11-0 sortie to take the lead for keeps, 58-50 (2:34). Jalyn Brown (16 points, 4-9 3FG) drilled her last trey with 34 seconds left to pull LIU Post within 62-60 but they didn't score again. Meanwhile, RWC dropped in 5-6 at the line to secure the result. Brooke Fields (21 points), Necedah James (13 points) and Samantha Courtney (11 points, 11 boards) stoked the flame for RWC as they made 22-28 at the line and used the ball neatly (11 assists, 9 turnovers). Melsha Messam (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Kalinka DeRoche (10 caroms) joined Brown in leading the Pioneers, who won the boards (47-34) but were just 6-10 at the line. UDC and RWC are both a game ahead of Queens with two games to go in the scrap for seeds #2-#4 in the ECC.