* The first day of the NCAA East Regional tournament on Friday is in the books and it provides us with some excellent individual performances as well as a signature moment to look back upon. Let's go in chronological order...
* NYIT (the #6 seed) won for the first time ever in the NCAA tournament, placing all five starters in double digits in an 88-74 success over Philadelphia (the #3 seed). Shanice Allen (25 points) led the way for the Bears, who assumed the lead for good with the final seven points of the first period, 19-17. Their first half lead crested at 41-30 (2:11) but the Rams scored the final six points to get within 41-36 at the interval. NYIT maintained a single digit advantage through the third quarter and when the Rams drew within 69-63 with 7:11 left in the contest, they blew it open. A 12-2 binge, led by Dina Ragab (eight of her 16 points; she added 10 boards), made it 81-65 (3:15), securing the victory. Julie Williams (15 points, 5 assists, 0 turnovers), Nina Vukosavljevic (12 points, 6 helpers) and Shannon Duer (11 points, 7 caroms) all had their moments for NYIT, which hit 19-22 at the line and shot 46% overall. Rachel Day (22 points, 9-11 FG, 4-5 3FG) shined for Philadelphia with Jessica Kaminski (14 points, 6 rebounds), Tori Arnao (13 points, 7 boards) and Bria Young (12 points) adding double figures. The Rams shot 49% overall but went just 3-5 at the line and committed 21 turnovers, leading to 24 NYIT points. The result represents the first time an ECC team has beaten a CACC club in the NCAA tournament (it would be followed by another later in the day) and continued to add to NYIT's record win total (25). For Philadephia, the search for an NCAA tourney win goes on; the last time they recorded one was back in 1998.
* Brianna Bishop's 16-foot stepback right elbow jumper with 1.7 seconds left gave AIC a thrilling 61-59 win over Bloomfield in game two. The Yellow Jackets had only one lead all day but it came at the right time as they recovered from a ten-point fourth period deficit to prevail. The #2 seed fell into an early hole (5-0) and the Bears kept the pressure on, leading by as many as a dozen points (21-9) on the way to a 25-21 halftime edge. They stayed on the front foot and after Tianna Smith (13 points, 4 steals) scored to kick off the fourth period, BC led 46-36. AIC countered with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 46-44 (7:46) and came within two points four more times in the stanza before finally catching up. Chyna Golden's two free throws gave Bloomfield a 59-55 lead at the 1:42 mark but the Bears never scored again. Kamika Mason (18 points, 11 rebounds) scored with 1:25 to go and Ebony Easter (10 points) evened matters for the first time with a banker in traffic with 36 seconds left, 59-59. Deja McKenzie missed at the other end for the Bears, leading to Bishop's (13 points, all in the second half) game-deciding jumper. Dana Watts (10 points, 7 boards) was also in double digits for AIC, which won the glass (34-26) and shot 47%. Ariel Wilson (19 points) and Gabriella Bennett (10 points) lent strong depth for hard-luck Bloomfield, who shot 43% from the field. AIC will face NYIT in Saturday's first regional semifinal clash.
* The top seed and host Bentley built as much as a 20-point lead and held off a late St. Anselm charge to lock up a 62-54 victory and extend their post season winning streak to thirteen games. Jen Gemma (19 points, 8 boards) and Megan Lewis (11 points) led the Falcons scoring with the latter tallying the last three points of the first period to give the Falcons a lead (20-18) they never gave back. It was a 37-25 halftime game and Bentley extended the margin to 50-30 with 1:57 on the clock in the third period. The Hawks, the #8 and in the field for the first time since 1999, chipped away behind Candace Andrews (26 points, 7 assists, 4 steals but also 8 turnovers) yet they only got the margin below double digits twice, once at 59-50 (1:08) and the other at the final horn. Kaila Duarte (6 points, 13 boards, 5 blocks) played well for St. A's but turnovers (23 to Bentley's 14) killed them, allowing the Falcons to ring up a 20-7 edge in points-off-TO's. Bentley also feasted in the paint (32-18) while faring better at the line (16-18; St. Anselm 9-16 FT). The win is the seventh straight NCAA tournament triumph for the Falcons.
* Madison Rowland put up a 31-point, 6-rebound, 4-steal stat line to lead Queens to its first ever NCAA tournament win, a 76-64 victory over Holy Family (another ECC team over a CACC squad). The 5th-seeded Tigers got off to a solid start, leading 17-11 late in the first quarter but the #4 seed Knights tore off a 15-0 bomb spanning the first and second periods to claim a 26-17 lead (which they never relinquished). QC ended the half with an 11-2 surge and held a 44-27 lead at the break. Their advantage peaked at 54-35 (3:10 of the third quarter) and it was still a 60-42 edge with 6:39 left when HFU rallied. A 14-1 flurry made it a 61-56 game with 3:49 to play but the Tigers ran out of time and gas and watched Queens score eight of the next ten points (69-58, 2:34) to put it on ice. MacKenzie Rowland (17 points, 7 boards, 5 assists) and Kristen Korzevinski (16 points) were also in double figures for QC as they shot 46%, produced a sensational assist/turnover line (22/11) and drilled 16-19 from the stripe. Jill Conroy (13 points, 5 caroms), Kelly Giedemann (11 points) and Taylor Walker (career-high 10 points) put up the numbers for Holy Family but they had turnover issues (18, leading to a 25-12 QC plus in points-off-miscues) and were beaten in the paint, 36-20. HFU did shoot well at the line (16-18 FT) yet still saw their streak of at least one NCAA tourney win for nine consecutive years come to an end. Queens will now face Bentley in the second semifinal on Saturday.